The Dorsa
by paulacole
Summary: Daniel and Samantha are captured by an alien race who want to experiment on them and then have to deal with the consequences when they're rescued and get back to Earth. Very angsty, very raunchy, so don't complain if its not your thing! Constructive feedb
1. Chapter 1

The Dorsa

_Set between the first appearance of McKay and Janet dying (no specific spoilers). Samantha and Daniel and captured and used for experiments and they have to deal with the consequences when they are rescued and returned to Earth._

_As usual, I don't own anything. I don't know anyone who's affiliated with Stargate, MGM or the SciFi channel. Don't bother suing me, I'm a student with no money._

Chapter One

It started out as a recognisance mission to P3X-269, what they thought was a planet devoid of intelligent life. They were mostly right in that regard. It was a popular planet for the Dorsa to 'farm', as they liked to put it, the pleasant conditions – temperate weather, oxygen-based atmosphere – meant humanoid races were always coming here. They liked to farm through other planets, rather then exposing their own address. This way, once captured, the rest of their race couldn't track them down to Dorsal, their homeworld.

The humans of earth had registered on the Dorsa radar several years ago, upon incurring the wrath of the Goa'uld for all the motherships they'd taken out, although all the superior races – the Nox, the Asgaurd and especially the Goa'uld – considered them to be inferior beings. Which was just what the Dorsa liked in their subjects. Intelligent enough to have gotten the Stargate working in the first place, not intelligent enough to escape from their clutches.

The Dorsa didn't like to grab people from their planets (and anyway, they'd learned the hard way of the iris the humans of earth had over their Stargate) or an colonies planet – it created too many problems. So they used planets such as this one as a go-between. Now they just had to sit and wait.

Jack was grumbling because they'd been sent on a recognisance mission. He considered himself beneath such things. " Why couldn't we send a grunt team to do the boring stuff? " he asked.

" Because, " Daniel said, keeping an eye out for anything resembling an artefact, which was hard, because this planet didn't have anything resembling a civilisation. It was pristine, untouched. It was a wonder no-one had stumbled onto it before this. It could make a good Beta site. " In an egalitarian society, everyone has their share of the grunt work. "

" In case you haven't noticed, Danny-boy, the military is not an egali-whatsit. Those at the top who've done all the hard work already get their pick of the missions, and those who haven't get what's left, " Jack retorted, but Daniel was already off doing his own thing. He tended to ignore Jack when he went off on one of his tangents.

He barely heard the soft whizzing through the air before he was hit by what would be considered on earth to be a tranquilliser dart, and had deadly efficiency. He didn't have time to contemplate what had hit him before he dropped to the ground in a dead faint.

" Daniel! " Samantha called, seeing him go down, but soon she too was taken down by one of the Dorsa's darts. She'd been trained – not as thoroughly as Jack, but trained nonetheless – to resist external influences but all her training was no match for the technology of the Dorsa. Soon she felt her mind becoming cloudy, her body growing heavy and…

" What the hell – ? " Jack yelled when he saw two of his team go down. He had no better resistance then Daniel and Samantha. Teal'c had some, but the Dorsa had come across the Jaffa and their Goa'uld symbiotes before, and had long since adjusted the effectiveness of their tranquillisers.

Two Dorsa emerged – two was all that was needed for such a simple expedition, like a child collecting bugs for a science display. And like a science display, if all went well, the subjects would be allowed to leave when it was all over. The Dorsa prided on treating their subjects as humanely as possible.

" Those two, " the male of the two Dorsa said to his companion, pointing to Daniel and Samantha. They needed a male and female for their experiments, so Samantha was an obvious choice. By process of militation – they considered Jack to be too old, many species they'd come across lost their potency as they aged, and although they had done previous experiments with cross-species breeding, that wasn't on the cards this time – Daniel was chosen to be the male.

The Dorsa directed two full-automated contraptions which resembled stretches, lying low to the ground, to where Daniel and Samantha's bodies lay. The flat bed part of the contraption tilted, sliding easily under their unconscious bodies until they were fully on top of it. It required no work from the Dorsa, apart from securing them properly.

" What do we do with those two? " the fame asked the male, gesturing towards Jack and Teal'c.

The male shrugged. " Leave them. They'll wake up in an hour or so and report back to Earth - –ut they won't have much to report, we'll be long gone and they won't be able to trace us. "

" Do you know that for sure? The Asgaurd spoke highly of their determination to get their people back, " the female said dubiously.

" When they know where to find them, " the male pointed out. " After we've gone through the Stargate, they'll have no way of tracing us – even the Asgaurd had trouble finding us, and the Asgaurd are far more advanced then the humans. "

" The Asgaurd and the humans have an alliance – will they intervene? "

" I doubt it. The Asgaurd have their hands full with the Replicators, I doubt they would concern themselves over two humans. " Even a human who had successfully defended the Asgaurd against the Replicator threat – the Dorsa knew much about Major Samantha Carter, and the rest of the Stargate Command. " And besides, the Asgaurd are in a worse position then us. They know the necessity of reproductive studies. "

At this, the female nodded sagely. The Dorsa had been having problems reproducing for several hundred years now. They studies other species in the hope they might find a solution to their problems, so far without much luck. " Let us be off then, " she said.

The Dorsa headed back towards the Stargate, the automated contraptions that help Daniel and Samantha trundling after them. It was a short walk to the Stargate, and then a few moments to dial the Dorsa homeworld. By the time Jack and Teal'c came too, they were long gone.

" Jesus Christ, what the hell was that? " Jack asked irritably when he came to. His head was throbbing, like a bad hangover, although a cursory examination of himself didn't find anything else wrong with him.

As soon as he was done looking over himself, he realised Samantha and Daniel were mission. He leapt to his feet, his eyes scanning the landscape for any sign of them. " Carter! " he called. " Daniel! This isn't funny, come out! "

" I believe that if they could heard you, they would show themselves, " Teal'c pointed out with his usual obvious logic. Jack rolled his eyes but knew Teal'c had a point. Besides, Daniel and Samantha wouldn't just run away as a joke. Clearly, they'd been kidnapped.

" We have to look for them, " Jack said.

" Can they have not been taken through the Stargate? " Teal'c asked.

That was what Jack had been afraid of. If they'd been taken through the Stargate, there could be no finding them – they might not even have the address for where they'd been taken to in their computers.

" We'll look anyway. Then we'll come back again with reinforcements, " Jack insisted, already feeling the guilt of having two of his team-members disappear in front of him. And what the hell had that _thing_ been that they'd all been shot with? If it was a tranquilliser dart, it was the most effective one he'd seen in his life.

Jack and Teal'c made a cursory search of the planet, to no avail. Daniel and Samantha were nowhere to be seen. He was forced to head back to earth to admit he'd lost half his team.

" The Goa'uld? " was the first thing Hammond asked when he was told about the attack on them.

Jack shook his head. " I doubt it. Why would they leave me – and especially Teal'c? I don't see why they'd go to such lengths to steal Daniel and Carter and leave Teal'c. " Jack produced the spent darts that he'd had the prudence to bring back with them. " I've never seen these before, but maybe the Tok'ra or Asgaurd have, " he suggested.

" I'll contact them, " Hammond agreed. " But first, we'll send a bigger team back to P3X-269 to see if we can find them. It's a small chance, but a change that they may still be here. "

" And if they're not? " Jack asked, his expression dark.

" We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, " Hammond replied.

They searched every inch of P3X-269, under every fallen branch, log, behind every rock, in every cave, and found nothing. It soon became apparent that whenever Daniel and Samantha were, it wasn't on P3X-269. And they had no idea where to look from here.

Daniel came to about the same time as Jack and Teal'c, but millions of light years away. He was unbound but there wasn't much he could do with his freedom – he was in a room with no perceivable door or window. The room was padded, like that one he'd spent time in when everyone had thought he'd gone crazy (he was still a little sore about that) but when he touched the material, it wasn't like anything he'd felt on earth. Come to think of it, it wasn't like any Goa'uld technology he'd come across, either.

Then again, Anubis had risen through the ranks by pinching other race's technologies. Asgaurd loot was a particular favourite of his. Although this didn't resemble Asgaurd technology, either.

_I guess we're not in Kansas anymore_, he thought. He wondered where his team-mates were. They must be around here somewhere, whoever – or whatever – had captured them must have grabbed the lot of them, no sense in leaving behind any witnesses. Well, the first thing was to find them. If he could work out how to get out of here.

There were a sound to one side of the room and a portion of the wall slid back like a sliding door where there absolutely had not been a door before – Daniel had checked. He made a mental note of where the wall had opened up, although somehow he doubted it would work for him. Clearly, these people were more advanced then they were.

Then what the hell did they want for with them? The races that were more advanced then them – the Nox, the Tollan, even the Tok'ra for a while – had made it clear they thought they had no use for the humans of earth. Even the Asgaurd had treated them with benevolent condescension, like a parent to a child, before Samantha had won a battle for them using tactics they hadn't thought of.

Two figures entered, looking surprisingly human. They even appeared to be a male and a female. Daniel was automatically suspicious. And he was suddenly very aware that all he was wearing was a short rope that barely skimmed his thighs made from a thin material he hadn't seen before. " Who are you? " he demanded. " Where the rest of SG-1? What do you want with us? "

" If you mean the other three you were with when you were acquired for our purposes, the woman is being held here, and the other two were left there. We assume they have since found their way home. "

They only took him and Samantha and left Jack and Teal'c? That made no sense. He bet Jack was good and mad now. Jack O'Neill didn't take well to losing half his team under his very nose. " They'll find you, and come after you, " Daniel threatened confidently.

" I do not think so. I would be surprised if your commander has the address to this planet, and even if he did, he would not know this was the place you are being held. There are millions of planets in the galaxy you could be being held. Is he going to search every one of them? "

Daniel was quiet ; the figure had a point. Even if you only counted the planets that were hospitable to the human physiology – and Daniel assumed these creatures had something similar to a human physiology – that was still millions of rocks they could be on. As valuable as he and Samantha might be, no-one was _that_ valuable. It would be like searching for two needles in a million haystacks.

" Who are you? " he demanded finally.

" We are the Dorsa, " the female of the two said. " We are both descendants of the ones you call – the Ancients. "

If they were telling the truth, then it made sense that they looked like humans. " You're not Goa'uld? " he asked suspiciously.

" No we are not. We live in an uneasy harmony with the Goa'uld. We are more advanced then they are and we wish no harm for them, so they mostly leave us in peace. "

A race more advanced then the Goa'uld? For a brief moment Daniel thought about trying to broker a diplomatic agreement, then decided against it. Clearly, in kidnapping him and Samantha, they had shown their contempt for them. " What do you want with us? " he demanded.

The woman looked bashful for a brief moment. " We are an advanced race, but not advanced enough to solve our procreative problems, " she said.

" You mean… like the Asgaurd? " Daniel asked. Although he wasn't around when SG-1 had made the discovery that the Asgaurd had been unable for some time to sexually procreate, and had been reduced to cloning which degraded their species over time, he had been filled in on that revelation.

" Not quite. We have been unable to adapt the Asgaurd's cloning technology to our own physiology. We are still able to sexually procreate, but not even at a rate to maintain our current population. Our numbers have been decreasing steadily for several hundred years now. If the trend continues, eventually we will all die out. "

" My heart bleeds for you, " Daniel said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. He had sympathy for them, but it was hard to be nice about it when he'd been captured. " So what do you want for us? "

" We have been studying the fertility and procreative methods of other races, " the male Dorsa spoke up. " You humans of earth caught our interest some time ago, when you began eliminating Goa'uld system Lords. "

Daniel couldn't help but be flattered their exploits had reached so far into the galaxy. " Having studied you, we believe you are our closest genetic relatives in the galaxy, " the male Dorsa continued. " We have a few physiological differences, but mostly they are superficial. We have come to believe you are our best hope to discovering the key to our fertility problems. "

" How? " Daniel demanded suspiciously. " Why us? We have others who specialise in that kind of thing. I do archaeology and Sam's specialty is astrophysics. "

" We wish to study your procreative methods, " the female Dorsa said firmly in a tone that brooked no argument.

Daniel saw fit to argue anyway. " You…want…to…_what? _" he asked incredulously. " You're not saying… you want to study Sam and I… _having sex_? "

The female Dorsa nodded. " We have been studying the procreative methods of many species for some time now, " she said. " We believe our hope lies with your kind. "

Daniel laughed hollowly. They were treating him liked some goddamned science experiment. He wondered how well a reminder of the Geneva convention would go down here. " You can't treat us like this, " he growled. " We're human beings, not animals for you to practice your experiments on. "

" I'm sure the lesser beings you humans practice _your_ experiments on feel the same way, " the male Dorsa pointed out. Maybe they'd been taking notes from the Goa'uld ; they had made a similar argument over the 'superior being' of Klorell getting to keep the body of Skarra.

" You can't _make_ me have sex with Sam, " Daniel growled. " I'm a human being, I have free choice. I – ahhh…. " he cried out when the male Dorsa pointed what looked like a television remote at him that seemed to control his muscles, forcing him onto his knees. Automatically he tried to resist to no avail ; a few seconds of struggling made him feel as exhausted as if he'd run one of Jack's marathons. His body felt heavy, like he weighed ten times what he actually did. The electromagnetic pulse that was being remotely directed to him was designed to mess with his body's sense of gravity and make him feel like he had mercury running through his veins rather then blood. Exhausted, he curled up into a little ball on the floor, his head tucked under his folder-up arms.

Satisfied with his compliance, the male Dorsa walked over to Daniel and prodded him gently. Daniel whimpered at the intrusion to his personal space, but did nothing else to defend himself. The male gestured to the female, who procured a small box which contained two large syringes, filled with liquid. Silently, she passed the syringes to the male, who nodded approvingly and took them one at a time, injecting the substances into Daniel. " Just relax and this will soon make you feel very good, " he said to a prostrate Daniel, a knowing tone in his voice.

In her own room, Samantha was pacing frantically, trying to work out where she was and where the rest of her team was. For a while she'd settled on the theory that the Goa'uld had them and were keeping them separate, like the time Hathor had gotten hold of them (you'd think they would have learned not to mess with SG-1 by now) but she decided again it, as everything she'd seen so far – namely, these four walls – weren't any Goa'uld materials she'd seen before.

Mind you, Anubis had elevated pinching other species technologies to an artform, so who knew?

Her questioned were answered shortly after, where two Dorsa – a different male and female to the pair who had visited Daniel – entered the room where she was being kept, through a door that Samantha could swear hadn't been there when she had applied pressure to every point she could reach. It was only her and Daniel here on account that, for their current experiment, the Dorsa had no use for Jack and Teal'c.

" They'll come looking for us, " Samantha threatened confidently.

" They won't have much luck, do you think we're short-sighted enough to use our homeworld to acquire subjects? " the male Dorsa asked. Samantha went quiet at this ; she knew as well as Daniel did that the chances of them being found without a known address were slim to none.

" What do you want with us? " she demanded.

The male Dorsa explained the predicament the Dorsa were in. " Can't help you, I'm a doctor of astrophysics, " Samantha said shortly.

" We do not want you for your knowledge, we are a hundred years ahead of you, " the male said condescendingly. " We want you because you humans have proven yourselves to be very fertile. We wish to study your procreative methods. "

Samantha stared at him, mouth open in shock. " You want… me and Daniel… to have sex? " she asked incredulously. " No way, forget about it. I'm a human being, I have free will. " She crossed her arms over her chest smugly. Clearly, the Dorsa thought little of humans if they thought they mated indiscriminately. Daniel would so not go for that, and neither would she.

In response to her refusal, the Dorsa held up what looked like a television remote and aimed it at Samantha. Immediately, she felt like she weighed ten times more then she did and after a few moments of resisting, she dropped to the floor, exhausted.

With Samantha helpless, the Dorsa injected her with the same substance that Daniel had been injected with. " Don't be afraid, " he said to her. " I think you'll quite enjoy this. "

Samantha was deposited in a room which was like the rooms they'd initially been held in, the walls covered with a foreign spongy material and no door to be seen. In the centre of the room was a huge bed – at least King-sized – which Daniel was sitting on cross-legged, trying to get the short robe he was wearing the cover as much of him up as possible. There were no blankets, but the temperature of the room was pleasantly warm. The Dorsa had taken the time to discover the creature comforts of the humans of earth.

" Hi, " Daniel said when she made eye contact with him. She had taken thirty seconds to take in her surroundings and realise Daniel was there, and in that time he had become uncomfortably aware of how much of a woman she was. She was wearing a robe that matched Daniel's in its length and thickness, and it emphasised her long, toned legs and her womanly curves. Automatically he averted his eyes, trying to keep his mind out of the gutter.

" Do you have any idea where we are? " Samantha asked, trying to keep her mind of how well the skimpy excuse for a robe Daniel was wearing showed off his tanned, muscular body. Bet he was a killer in bet. Automatically she averted her eyes, trying to keep her mind out of the gutter.

" No, apart from it's the homeworld to a race called the – "

" Dorsa, " Samantha finished off. " Never heard of them before. Have you? "

" No. Although apparently they've heard of us. "

" Closest genetic match? " Samantha asked. Daniel nodded. They'd been giving the exact same information. Pity it didn't include how to get out of here. " Did they – did they say what they wanted with us? " she asked in a whisper, embarrassed to bring it up… especially in light of the fact she was distracted by the thought of how it would feel to have Daniel's strong arms wrapped around her while he was screwing her brains out.

Oh, God, where did that thought come from? She turned her head away from Daniel's gaze, hoping he wouldn't see how badly she was blushing.

" Yeah, they said, " Daniel admitted in a low, embarrassed voice. " I told them they couldn't make us – then they hit me with – "

" Yeah, what I wouldn't give to get hold of one of those things, " Samantha cut in. " It made me feel like my body was made of gold. "

" Most people say lead, Sam, " Daniel couldn't help but smirking over her scientific correctness. That, and he'd pick an argument with her just to distract himself from his growing attraction for her. He glanced down at her barely concealed legs and wondered how they would feel, wrapped around him in the throes of passion. He turned his head away from her, hoping she wouldn't see just how badly he was blushing. Not that there was much blood available for his face right now.

" Gold is denser then lead, therefor it's heavier, " Samantha said crossly, willing to pick an argument to distract herself from her growing attraction for Daniel. God… he…was…so…hot…and…she…was…so…horny…

Samantha shifted slightly, and the motion caused her robe to slip down slightly, exposing plenty of round, creamy breast. Daniel felt the effect immediately. " Oh, God, " he said gutturally, " I'm so… " he trailled off when he realised what he was about to say.

" Horny? " Samantha offered. Daniel nodded, embarrassed. " I think it's something they gave us, like a hormone stimulant, " she said.

" I can think of a huge market for something as strong as this, " Daniel couldn't help but saying. His mouth was dry, and he couldn't help but stare at Samantha. She was so fucking sexy. He didn't know how long he'd be able to restrain himself. " I told them… they couldn't make me, " he said, and in light of how badly he was aching right now, his words sounded remarkably naive. " Whatever I might say or do later, I just want you to know, it's not me. "

" Just so long as you don't hold my actions against me either, " Samantha agreed. She shifted again slightly and the motion proved too much stimulation for her. She moaned softly.

Daniel was turned on by Samantha's clear desire. He looked at her hungrily. " Please don't do that again, I don't know how long I can keep my hands off you, " he admitted.

" I'll try not to, " Samantha said wryly, her emphasis on the _try_. She looked around the room, trying to think of something to distract herself. " Do you think they're watching us? " she asked. She couldn't see any cameras, but that didn't mean they weren't there. Hell, Dorsal cameras probably bore no resemblance to earth cameras. For all she knew, the white padding could be a camera.

" Probably, " Daniel said. " They said they wanted to study us so they've probably got some kind of surveillance on us. "

" Great, " Samantha muttered. " I'm about the star in my own porno. " Oh, who was she kidding, she didn't care. All she could think about was Daniel and how it would feel to have him inside her.

" Let's play a game, " Daniel said suddenly. " A memory game – to keep our minds of…things, " he added when he saw the look Samantha gave him. Clearly, her thoughts were in the gutter, along with his. " Name all the states of America… and their capitals… in alphabetical order. "

" The states or the capitals in alphabetical order? " Samantha asked, saying anything to distract herself.

" States in alphabetical order, capital in order of the states, " Daniel said.

" Montgomery, Alabama, " Samantha started. It was lame, but it made her think about something else.

" Juneau, Alaska, " Daniel replied.

" You just made that up! " Samantha cried, momentarily distracted. She had never heard of Juneau, Alaska.

" It's pretty small, small then Anchorage, " Daniel admitted. " But I did a study on Inuits about ten years ago, I swear it's a real place. " Samantha looked at him suspiciously. If they ever got back to earth, she was going to look it up.

" Phoenix, Arizona, " Samantha continued.

" Little Rock, Arkansas, " Daniel said.

" Sacramento, California… "

" … Cheyenne, Wyoming, " Samantha finished. She looked at Daniel with a 'now what' expression on her face. This game had done very little to keep her mind off things. More then once her gaze had drifted down Daniel's body to his increasingly obvious hard-on, and it took her longer and longer to shift her gaze.

" Stargate teams, " Daniel said, wracking his brains for something – anything – that would distract him from Samantha. Not that this game had done much to keep him from staring at her barely-concealed breasts. As time went by and she became more aroused, a thin film of sweat covered her body, causing the thin material to stick to her skin, making the outline of breasts very visible. Her nipples stood out like cherries and Daniel had difficulty thinking of something other then ripping off her robe and burying his aching hard-on deep inside her. He swallowed hard. Christ, he had never had such thoughts about a woman. He was behaving – or at least thinking like an animal. If he wasn't so horny, he'd be ashamed of himself. " Their leader, the rest of the team. "

Samantha rested her head against the wall and tried to think of her own team. They were a blur to her, the only thing that was clear in her mind was her desire for Daniel. " SG-1, " she said. " Colonel Jack O'Niell. Major Samantha Carter… Doctor Daniel Jackson… oh, God, " she groaned. She couldn't take this anymore.

She stood up and crawled onto the bed, straddling Daniel. " I want you, " she said hoarsely.

" I don't want to do this to you, " he said from his heart. His body was a completely different story. She was so close to him, he could feel the radiation of her sexual heat. " I love you Sam, and I respect you. I'm sorry… "

" It doesn't matter, " she said softly. There was a fire raging through both of them and there was only one way to quench it. " I understand – I love you too. But right now I don't care. " She ground her crotch against his, and shuddered on impact, almost climaxing there and then. " And I don't think you do, either. "

" No, " he groaned, and he reached out to pull apart her robe. Her body was perfect. She was perfect. Wriggling out of his own robe, he lifted her up by her hips so she was just above him. " God help me, " he whispered as he lowered her on top of him, letting out an inhuman groan when he buried himself inside her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two 

After a cursory search of half a dozen planets close to P3X-269, Hammond conceded it was time to call the Tok'ra. He hadn't seriously expected to find anything, he'd just stalled for a few days, putting off telling Jacob Carter they'd lost his daughter until there was no help for it.

Jacob came with a contingent of Tok'ra. Jack and Hammond doubted they would have come at all if it hadn't been for Samantha being missing – Jacob could be pretty insistent when they wanted to be. The Tok'ra had never quite forgiven them for the death of Martouf/Lantash, like that had been their fault.

Actually, it was a pity Martouf wasn't still around. It would be good to have another Tok'ra who actually cared about Samantha. The Tok'ra, for all their honour and far-sightedness, didn't see the strategic importance of going to hell and back for one person. It kind of made sense, but it was hard not to take it personal when it came to someone as special as Samantha and Daniel. Humans and Tok'ra just didn't see eye to eye on a lot of things.

So they called in the Tok'ra, and Jack, in one of the few cowardly acts in his life, left the job of telling Jacob Samantha was missing to Hammond.

Jacob seemed to take it well, although maybe that was Salmac's influence. " Do you have _any_ idea what happened to them? "

They procured the two darts that Jack and Teal'c had seen fit to bring back with them. Jacob/Selmac took them and studied them. After a few moments, he looked up at them, a look of horror and concern on his face. " The Dorsa, " he said simply.

" The Dorsa? " Jack asked, trying to look like he comprehended.

" They're a humanoid race – probably closer genetically to you then us, " Selmac explained. " They're quite advanced, more then us or the Goa'uld. "

" I don't suppose they'd be willing to share technology? " Jack asked sarcastically. Personally, he considered kidnapping half his team an act of war. He contemplated the legitimacy of snatching some technology while they were snatching back his team.

Selmac gave him a Look. Jack kept his mouth shut. " Like the Asgaurd, the Dorsa have difficulties with sexual procreation. While they still have some capability, unlike the Asgaurd, they haven't been able to clone themselves. So in the last few hundred years they've been studying other species and their procreation habits, trying to find a way to solve their own problems. "

" So let me get this straight, " Hammond interjected before Jack could say something. Jack looked about ready to burst – or search a million planets, looking for the Dorsa himself. " They catch different species like a science project, and…? "

" Observe their procreation habits, " Selmac said.

" He means have sex, " Jack blurted out, unable to contain himself anymore. He would scour a million planets to find those bloody Dorsa if he had to…

" Thankyou, Colonel, I figured out what he meant, " Hammond admonished Jack. He turned to Selmac. " They're going to have a pretty rough time with Major Carter and Doctor Jackson. They'd never agree to such a thing. "

" The Dorsa have ways of making their subjects do as they wish, " Selmac said vaguely. Though the symbiote was in control, somewhere in there was Jacob who was doing his best not to think about the matter at hand.

" Ways? Like what? "

" The Dorsa have created hormone stimulants that surpass anything we have seen, " Selmac admitted.

" What's a hormone stimulant? " Jack asked, wishing Samantha were here to translate the scientific gobbledegook. From the sudden silence that descended the room, Jack could work it out. " Jesus Christ, you mean they can make then _want_ to do it? " Oh, Lord, that was a bad visual. Jack considered Samantha and Daniel to be 'his kids' which, although he'd never made that leap of logic before, made him think of them as brother and sister. They were _Daniel and Carter_. They didn't do 'sexual procreation'.

A thought occurred to him. " Can Carter really – ? "

" She has injections every three months, " Hammond reassured him. " Janet will be able to tell you the exact dates but let's just say that's not our most immediate concern. "

" No it's not, " came Jacob's voice, now in control of his body. " You have to find Sam. And Daniel, " he added as an afterthought.

" Hey, that's why we came to you, " Jack said. " We were hoping you know where their homeworld is. "

Jacob shook his head. " The Dorsa aren't that stupid. When you kidnap fairly advanced species all the time, you learn not to do it from your own planet. They use a serious of uninhabited planets as go-betweens. "

" So they could be anywhere? " Jack asked. Jacob nodded. " Great, that's just fucking terrific. What are there, millions of planets out there? So what do we do, scour the lot of them? "

" Unfortunately, as much as I'd like it to be, that's not an option, " Hammond said. " We just don't have the manpower for that. I've got McKay working on it. Hopefully he'll think of something. "

" Somehow I think this is beyond even him, " Jack said. " He's not all-knowing, as much as he likes to think he is. " Damn, while they were grabbing humans, why couldn't they have taken McKay and left them a scientist who you could actually work with? Samantha drove him nuts sometimes, but at least she wasn't condescending with her explanations.

Jack turned to Jacob. " So how come you know so much about these guys? "

" That's about the only piece of good news I can give you. The Dorsa pride themselves of treating their species with respect. We know what we do because once they were finished with some of our people, they sent them back. "

" So they've grabbed some of you guys? " Jack asked, a little smugly. The Tok'ra were always going on about how they knew better. Looks like they were not better at evading a race like the Dorsa then they were.

" They prefer to study the Goa'uld, it's easier to find them. One thing about having to stay hidden from the Goa'uld, it means your hidden from a lot of other things. I guess there are some advantages to being intergalactic fugitives, " Jacob concluded wryly. " But yes, we have had prior experience with them. It's how Selmac recognised the darts. "

" Great, so we know who we're dealing with – and how does that help us? " Jack asked with his usual sarcasm.

" Colonel O'Niell, it's not Jacob's fault – or Selmac's, " Hammond admonished him.

Jack looked just a little contrite. " Sorry, " he muttered to Jacob. " It's just that half my team is out there, and I let them be snatched from right under my nose. Excuse me if I'm feeling a little sore about it. "

" That's understandable, " Selmac said magnanimously. " We all want them back. "

" How long did you say it took before the Dorsa just sent them back? " Hammond asked hopefully.

" Long enough for the female to conceive… and carry the child to full term, " Selmac admitted. Hammond cringed. Clearly, just waiting for them to get back wasn't an option.

" I'll see what McKay's up to, " Hammond said, feeling helpless. In the mean time, he went to see Janet to inquire about the state of Samantha's birth control.

As a doctor, Janet was horrified by what Hammond told her. If she tried really hard she could almost kind of understand where the Dorsa were coming from – after all, humans were hardly innocent of experimenting of lesser beings – but she just had to think of her friends being treated like that and she became infuriated.

" Sam's got six weeks til her next injection, " Janet said. " After that the effectiveness will wear off gradually, it will depend on the frequency of – " she noticed Jack was looking at her strangely, like he really didn't want the visual that finishing her sentence would bring, so she decided to let the two of the work it out for themselves. " I'd say you've got two months before she's got no protection. "

" Two months, " Jack muttered, and he marched towards the labs where McKay was supposed to be working. The arrogant scientist was nowhere to be seen. Jack headed for the cafeteria, and ran into McKay on the way. " You! " he directed towards the younger man. " What are you doing, slacking off? "

" Me? " McKay asked indignantly. He got on even less with Jack then he did Samantha. At least Samantha had something close to his own IQ – Jack was like an amoeba. While someone was snatching humans offworld, why couldn't they take a dumb one like Jack O'Neill? " I've been working for twenty hours without a break. I thought I was entitled to something to eat. "

Jack tried to care, but first and foremost in his mind were his missing teammates. McKay was just a brilliant scientist who was conveniently around and hopefully could find them. " Go… find something worthwhile out, " he said irritably.

" Gee, I'm sorry Colonel, I may be brilliant but even _I_ can't find a needle amongst a million haystacks, " McKay retorted. " It would help if I knew the first thing about what I was dealing with. "

Jack looked at McKay suspiciously, then decided since he was their best chance of getting Samantha and Daniel back anytime soon, gave him the details. " Doctor Fraiser says two months, but that's unacceptable to me, " he concluded.

McKay stared at Jack for a few seconds, for a while thinking this was something the Colonel had made up just to jerk his chain. That he had a two-month deadline didn't concern him ; by that time he'd either find a way to get them back or it would be beyond even his genius. No, what was on his mind right now was more immediate concerning Daniel and Samantha. " You mean right now they're…? "

Jack cringed and wished people would be a little more tactful about it. " Yeah, " he agreed. " They are. "

" Oh, _God_ I love fucking you, " Daniel cried gutturally as he thrust hard from behind. It was their third time that day already, and if he'd been in his right mind, he would have realised it wasn't natural for him to be able to perform like this. But he didn't care.

" Harder, " Samantha urged. " Fuck me harder, Daniel. " With whatever they were giving her in her system, all she could think about was having sex with Daniel. If she'd been in her right mind, she would have been ashamed about how wantonly she was behaving, but right now, she didn't care.

" Scream for me, baby, " Daniel urged, knowing he was close to climaxing. He began stroking her, and she responded with a fresh round of moans and screams, increasing in pitch and urgency as she got closer and closer to climaxing.

" DANIEL! " she screamed as she came. Behind her, she felt Daniel thrust hard and climax ; she could imagine the expression on his face that she had come to know so well in the last few weeks.

He withdrew from her and lay on his back, pulling her into his arms. In the last few weeks sex had become like a drug, a fix they needed several times a day. The calmness following a hit was always followed by a building-up need for another hit. But there was a window immediately after sex when they were both sated that they were quite lucid. This was a good and a bad thing.

Although Samantha accepted his embrace, he could feel that she was unable to relax as, in a period of lucidity, she reflected on what had happened between them in the past few weeks. They were being given hormone shots every day (Samantha had an excellent sense of time, despite the Dorsa not being generous enough to give her back her watch – probably thought she'd do a MacGuyver and lead a daring escape with it) which, except for these brief periods, kept them insanely horny. She'd had behaved like a harlot, and most of the time she didn't care, except for these moments.

" They'd never understand I didn't have a choice, " she thought out loud.

" _We_ didn't have a choice, " Daniel corrected automatically. They'd had this conversation before. Sometimes in these periods, Samantha's scientific brain kicked in and she pieced together as much information as she could about the Dorsa, and other times, like now, that she struggled to deal with her feelings of sluttiness. It made him wish for the lucidity to be over and the effect of the hormones to kick back in.

" Somehow I can't imagine McKay making snide little comments about what a slut _you_ are, " Samantha retorted sharply.

" What is it with you and McKay, anyway? " Daniel asked. " He's a chauvinist. I thought you have more confidence then to care what he thinks. "

" You don't understand, Daniel, you're a guy. All the guys will be like, good on you, nailing Major Carter. You'll be a fucking hero. But I – "

Daniel propped himself up on one elbow, looking down at her. " You will have my absolute support, I promise you, " he said sincerely. This was another reason this lucid period was bad – he became very aware of what they were doing, and he hated himself for it. In the throes of passion, everything was amazing, but afterwards he always felt like scum. He felt like he was treating Samantha, a woman he loved and respected, like a whore. He vowed if this was ever over, he would make it up to her. " If we ever get out of here, I swear I won't let you go through it alone. I won't abandon you to the wolves. " Unfortunately, he was very aware that there were lost of people in the Stargate Command who wouldn't shed a tear to see Major Carter fall from grace – men who resented that a woman had gotten so far in a man's domain, women who resented that it wasn't _them_ who had gotten so far in a man's domain. _So much for feminism_. " You know I will, don't you? "

Tearfully, Samantha nodded. There were a few moments like this one where they really connected over their predicament. They had become closer then they ever had been. She believed that he wouldn't abandon her to the gossip-mongers if they ever got home.

Daniel smiled encouragingly. It wasn't often that they connected like this – the hormones being pumped into them usually meant they had other things on their mind – but when they did, he realised how close they were, how much Samantha meant to him. He hoped they could build on that under better circumstances back on Earth. " Good girl, " he said, and he lowered his head to kiss her gently.

They rarely kissed, and hardly ever with any gentleness – their displays of affection were usually far more efficient then that. But there were times when it felt right, like now, to take their time. They exchanged soft, gentle kisses for a few minutes, both of them trying to push back the urges that were already building up again.

Withdrawing slightly so he could look into her eyes, Daniel ran his fingers through her hair. He would never dare say so to her face, of course, but he could see her hair was already getting longer and it preferred it that way. " I love you, Sam, " he said honestly. " I'm sorry for all of this. "

" It's not your fault, " Samantha said. " I don't blame you. " She leaned up to kiss Daniel, and this kiss was more passionate then their previous kisses. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, pressing her body against his provocatively. The lull was over.

" What do you mean, the Asgaurd won't help us? " Jack demanded irritably when he was told that all the diplomacy in the world (not to mention a few none-too-subtle reminders that they owed Samantha) hadn't enticed them to give up the address to the Dorsa homeworld. " It's a few measly co-ordinates. What gives? "

" Apparently the Asgaurd sympathise with the Dorsa and their fertility problems, " Hammond explained. " They seem to have a standing arrangement – the Dorsa don't interfere with anything the Asgaurd do and the Asgaurd turn a blind eye to their… _studies_. " He didn't add that the Asgaurd felt, with Jack in possession of the address to the Dorsa homeworld, he'd annihilate the place either through determination to find Daniel and Samantha or just plain old American revenge.

" Studies? " Jack parroted. " I call it kidnapping and an act of war! And that makes them guilty after the fact! " he added.

" Yeah, because I think the Asgaurd are _really_ concerned with our laws, " McKay piped up from behind Jack. Jack had been withholding information from him as always, so he figured he was entitled to eavesdrop. After all, he _was_ their best chance of finding Samantha and Daniel, you'd think the Colonel would give him a little credit. Never mind, McKay got his own back by making a reference to what the two of them were probably doing right now whenever he could.

Jack gave him an Evil Look. " Just because _I_ happen to care about Carter and Daniel… " he said condescendingly. In his opinion, McKay had shown a very unhealthy interest in what Samantha and Daniel were doing on a galaxy far, far away – particularly Samantha. More then once Jack had made snide remarks about McKay wishing it was him – that always shut the scientist up.

" Hey, I care about them, too, " McKay said indignantly. OK, that was stretching the truth a bit. He thought Samantha was hot, and truth be told, he missed having someone around who was approaching his own brilliance. He was almost sorry about calling her a dumb blond. " And besides, the way I see it, I'm the only one actually _doing _anything to get them back! "

" Well, if the Asgaurd would just remember who saved their asses, " Jack complained to Hammond. " Let me talk to them. "

" No way, " Hammond said. He remembered the last time Jack had 'talked' to the Asgaurd. " We just have to accept that that's their decision. We'll keep negotiating but hopefully we'll come up with something else. "

" Yeah, and we'll never bail them out again, " Jack muttered darkly. Ungrateful creatures. So what if they could sympathise with the Dorsa, when was the last time the Dorsa had bailed them out?

It took McKay over a month, but finally he hit on a solution. By adapting the memory in the Stargate Command's dialling computers – which, for all intents and purposes, was their DHD – he was able to create a program which, with some individual tinkering for individual DHDs, could recall all dialled addresses, theoretically back to the time when the Ancients first used them.

Needless to say, he was pretty smug about it. He told himself no-one could have done it but him. And he insisted on going with Jack and his hand-picked team of twenty on their rescue mission. He was sick of being shunted to the sidelines, the brilliant scientist who did all the research while the 'soldiers' got all the fun. If Samantha Carter – who McKay considered a lesser mind to him – got to go out into the field, then so should he.

Needless to say, Jack didn't want McKay on the mission with him. But the man had a point – there was no-one else in the entire airforce who was smart enough to operate the program McKay had created. While Jack would have been happy to get McKay to run his program from P3X-269, get them the address of to Dorsa homeworld and get himself back to earth, most likely the infuriating scientist would just follow them to the Dorsa homeworld. And since he _had_ been working nonstop to create the program, Jack supposed, to some people's thinking – not his – they kind of owed the guy. So reluctantly, he let McKay come along.

McKay was like a puppy being let out of the house for the first time, strutting around commenting on everything until he had well and pissed off everyone else on the rescue mission. It wasn't until Jack made a very deliberate comment that he was as bad as Daniel had been when they'd first set foot on Abydos that McKay calmed down. God forbid anyone should compare him to that geek, Daniel Jackson.

After the initial headaches of creating the program in the first place, it was relatively easy for McKay to adapt the program to the DHD on P3X-269 to recall previous addresses. He became more smug then ever when it procured the dialling co-ordinates for the Dorsa homeland. Where the Tok'ra, the Goa'uld and God knew who else had failed, he, Doctor Rodney McKay, had succeeded. He began to envision what a bargaining tool that would be for all the races that the Dorsa had pissed off over the centuries.

" Don't get ahead of yourself, I plan on using that leverage to get them to leave us alone – and share technology, " Jack interrupted McKay's visions. In Jack's experience, it was far more effective to use information to blackmail then share it with anyone who cared out of revenge.

Although it _was_ tempting to give the address to anyone who cared. Not to mention it would distract Anubis for a while – two birds with one stone!

" Alright, any sign of those dart things and shoot indiscriminately to kill, " Jack ordered. With twenty crack shots (plus one tagalong scientist) they were sure to hit _something_. Maybe they'd even capture a Dorsa and drag one home for experiments – _that_ would be good revenge!

Hmmm, he was really starting to miss Daniel – the man could be infuriating, but he kept Jack in check. Jack didn't know how many times he would have gone off half-cocked on a revenge mission like the ones he was contemplating right now.

It didn't take long for them to find the base the Dorsa conducted their experiments from – they had been secure enough in the secrecy of their planet, although the place was heavily guarded. Jack didn't mind about that, he figured once they heard what he had to say, they'd give him what he wanted – namely, Daniel and Samantha.

" I'm Jack O'Niell from the Stargate Command on Earth, " he introduced himself to one of the guards. " I wish to see your leader. "

" Our leader does not wish to see you, " the Dorsa guard replied coolly, wondering how they'd found this address. " Please leave. "

Jack laughed. " You think we went to all the trouble of tracking you down just to go home politely? " he asked. " Here's the deal. You get me your leader of my General releases this address to anyone who wants it. "

At the thought of the hundreds of races that the Dorsa had pissed off by kidnapping their people knowing where they were, the guard visibly paled and went off to find their leader. Jack smirked at his easy victory. They weren't so tough now.

A few minutes later, a male Dorsa emerged, dressed in splendid regalia – some kind of king, no doubt. " What do you want? " he demanded crossly.

" I want my team back that you stole – Major Samantha Carter and Doctor Daniel Jackson, " Jack replied.

The leader shook his head. " I'm sorry, that's impossible. We need them. You can be assured they are being treated well and be returned when we have recorded the information we need. "

Jack snorted his derisiveness. " Listen, buddy, I don't think you quite get me. I want Carter and Daniel back. And if we're not back on Earth in twenty-four hours – _with them _– we release this address. Just imagine all the races you must have pissed off over the years, all of them with this address. There's this Goa'uld system Lord, Anubis, nasty piece of work – ascended being. Bet he'd _love_ to know where to find this place. " Jack rocked on his heels smugly.

The leader paled even more visibly then the guard did. " If we give them back, will you leave us alone? " he asked.

" Yes… oh, and we might want to do some trading in the future. And by trading I mean, we ask and you give, " Jack added as an afterthought. Yes, blackmail always worked a treat.

" We need them. We have reproductive problems, " the leader insisted.

Jack yawned. " Tell it to someone who cares. Daniel and Carter, please. " God, it was good negotiating with someone who had nothing to negotiate with. And here was him thinking he needed Daniel.

Reluctantly, the leader realised he had no choice. " Follow me, " he said.

Turning to the rest of his tam and smiling in triumph, Jack gestured for them to follow him. He knew the Dorsa weren't stupid enough to attack them in the hope that would be the end of it – the very real threat of Hammond giving out the address to anyone who wanted it was enough discouragement against it. _Another job well done_, Jack congratulated himself, conveniently forgetting that McKay, tagging along at the back somewhere, was mostly responsible for this victory.

" Oh, God, _yes_… faster, Daniel, " Samantha urged. She was lying on he back, her legs pinned parallel to her chest, her ankles locked around his neck, a position she could thank her rigorous military training for. He was particularly dominating this time, keeping her pinned to the mattress while he pounded her hard and fast, and she got off on it.

They were far too absorbed in what they were doing to notice anything going on around them, and anyway, over the last month, the Dorsa had made a habit on coming in to watch them that they'd learnt to ignore the intrusion. The Dorsa had certainly made it easy for them to forget they were the subjects of a science experiment.

So when the door to their room – or their controlled chambers, as Samantha referred to it in her more lucid moments – they didn't stop what they were doing ; they were too used to it and too caught up in the moment to care. Let the Dorsa watch, right now they were both too horny to mind.

Neither of them, but Samantha especially, would ever live down the fact that their rescue mission had walked in on the most compromising position of their lives.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three 

A few really obvious coughs from Jack and Samantha and Daniel became aware they had an audience – that wasn't their captors. " Oh, fuck, " Samantha cried out when she saw Jack – and the twenty men behind him. Her body was on fire, wanting to finish what she and Daniel had started, but her mind was suddenly very clear, having being dragged out of its cloudiness by the sheer degree of humiliation.

She would never live this down. It would have been one thing for the Stargate Command to know what had happened to her and Daniel while on Dorsal ; it was entirely another for twenty of them, including Jack – and was that _McKay_ at the back? How did he wrangle himself a position on the mission? – to witness them doing it.

" Jack! " Daniel yelled when he realised a second after Samantha did what was going on. " Get the hell out of here! "

Almost as embarrassed as they were, Jack called for a hasty retreat – although some were less then hasty. He glared at the Dorsa leader. " Why the hell didn't you warn us? " he demanded.

The Dorsa leader looked at Jack blankly. " It didn't seem relevant, you demanded them back – immediately. "

Jack was _sure_ the smarmy bastard had done this deliberately. Carter and Daniel would never live this down, Carter especially. " Where are their clothes? " he demanded.

" In storage. We were going to give them back – when we gave them back. "

" Well, I'm taking them back right now so you go and give their clothes back, " Jack demanded. He got the definite feeling he was losing control of the situation. Poor Daniel. Poor Samantha. He doubted he could ever look at them the same again.

Obediently, the Dorsa leader scurried away, no doubt glad to be away from Jack O'Neill, who looked very pissed off and capable of murder right now. Jack turned to the other twenty members of the rescue mission. " Not…a…word, " he said, with a look that reminded him he was experienced in black ops, he knew how to make murder look like an accident. He sent a particularly evil look in McKay's direction.

Inside the room – now mercifully closed – Samantha was on the verge of a panic attack. It was actually quite scary to watch, he wasn't used to cool, calm Samantha Carter getting hysterical, and if it wasn't for their present circumstances, Daniel would have ordered Jack in here to deal with it. Daniel swallowed his own temptation to fall to pieces. " It's going to be OK, " he said. God, that sounded so lame. This was everything she'd been worried about, only ten times as bad. In her scenario, they'd made their own way back to Earth – fully clothed – to explain, in very general terms, what had happened to them – not Jack and twenty other members of the Stargate Command walking in on her flat on her back with her ankles locked around Daniel's neck.

Oh, God she felt like such a whore. Oh, God she was going to be sick.

" Sam? " Daniel asked, now very worried. " Do you need me to get Jack? "

Samantha glared at him and struggled to control the urge to throw up before Daniel thought the best thing to do was get Jack involved. That was _definitely_ not a good idea.

" It's going to be OK, " he said lamely.

Samantha glared at him again. " _How_ is it going to be OK? " she asked hysterically. " This is the worst possible thing that could have happened. I will _never_ live this down. " She started to cry and she hated herself for her weakness.

Daniel drew her into his arms. " I told you I wouldn't abandon you, " he reminded her gently. " Do you remember? " she nodded. " Good, because I meant it. I know this is about the worst that could happen but we'll deal with it together – OK? " Samantha nodded again. " Good girl. " Daniel leaned over to kiss her softly. " We'll get through this, I promise. " She threw herself into his arms in a needy hug.

He inhaled, and he could feel her scent all around him – she smelled of sex, of _him_. It was a heady smell. It immediately reminded him of what they'd been doing before they'd been interrupted. " I think I need a cold shower before I can go anywhere, " he commented, wincing.

Samantha felt the effect she had on him. Right now, she was feeling too sorry for herself to be preoccupied with it, and besides, if she was, she could get away without it being obvious. Daniel couldn't. " Let me, " she whispered softly, sliding off the bed onto her knees.

" I don't want you to do this, " Daniel whispered hoarsely. His body told her he did. " It's degrading. "

_No more then what I've already done_, Samantha thought. " Just sit back and enjoy it, " she directed him. " And done make any noise. "

She finished him off quickly, before the Dorsa leader returned with their clothes. He hoisted her back onto the bed. " I told you I didn't want you to do that, " he said, his eyes full of remorse. Once more, he'd used her.

" But you feel better, don't you? " she challenged.

" That's not the point, " Daniel said. He _did_ feel better, and he hated himself for it. He had used her to satisfy his sexual desires… even if she had wanted to do it for him… that didn't matter. " You shouldn't have been subjected to it… to this whole thing. "

Samantha smiled gently. " It's OK, " she said. " Consider it helping out a friend in need. "

He smiled ruefully. " You're too good to me, " he said.

She hugged him, and at that moment the Dorsa leader reappeared with their clothes. " Get dressed and get out of here, " the leader directed. " We never want to see your kind again. "

" As I remember, _you_ kidnapped _us_, " Daniel couldn't help but reminded the leader. He got a glare for his pains. Daniel wondered what Jack had on him. Probably threatened to hand out the co-ordinates to this planet to whoever wanted it, knowing Jack. Daniel would have been more diplomatic, but it got results.

Actually, come to think of it, he wasn't sure if he was happy with these results. Right now, he'd be quite happy to spend a few more months here and be sent home when the Dorsa had no further use for them then have to face the twenty-one dirty-minded men out there.

Well, what was done was done, they couldn't exactly tell Jack and co to go home. Daniel supposed he should be grateful for the effort they must have gone to, although it was hard for any other emotion to penetrate his deep embarrassment.

And come to think of it, something like this sounded like McKay's doing. Daniel wondered what he expected in return.

Facing the men was absolute torture. Clearly, Jack had threatened bodily harm if they said anything, but that didn't stop a few smirks and knowing looks from escaping. Daniel was tempted to quit the Stargate Command there and then and spent the rest of his life on Dorsal ; it couldn't be any worse then this.

Discreetly, he pushed Samantha behind him, threading his fingers through hers reassuringly. He didn't particularly care that it was an obvious display of affection ; it wasn't like things could get any worse then they were now.

Holding hands unashamedly, Daniel and Samantha trailled behind the rest of the group, refusing to be part of it and the whispers they knew were being exchanged. This was simply too good to obey Jack's orders to keep their mouths shut. Daniel and Samantha supposed that was just human nature but that didn't make it any easier on them.

They got back to the gate with no problems – idly Daniel wondered just how many races the Dorsa had made enemies off to grant them such a uneventful return home – and dialled home. As they were stepping towards the event horizon, Daniel felt Samantha grip his fingers in apprehension. " It's OK, " he whispered to her. " I promised, and I don't reneg on my promises. " When Jack wasn't looking, he planted a quick kiss on her forehead. Not that the inter-military fraternisation thing would matter for much longer ; under the influence or not, Daniel doubted Hammond would let them stay on the same team after this.

He didn't say that to Samantha, though. Instead he smiled reassuringly and tried to wince when her nails dug into his skin. " Ready? " he asked. Samantha nodded, still apprehensive but feeling a little better knowing Daniel was by her side through this. She took a deep breath, and they walked through the gate…

Hammond and Janet Fraiser were waiting for them on the other side. Both of them looked clearly relieved that Daniel and Samantha had returned, looking more or less in one piece, although thorough physicals would determine just how well they were.

No-one failed to miss that Daniel and Samantha had come through the gate holding hands, but for Janet, who knew them personally quite well – Samantha especially – it went deeper then most people saw. Circumstances had forced them to become very close in the last month, and now that they were back to their normal environment, it was hard to say what would happen to their relationship.

Logically, she knew they needed to be separated. They'd been each other's world for a month, under the influence of God knew what. Right now, the best thing for them was to be separated and given time to clear their heads. But Janet saw that was easier said then done.

" We can't do it together? " Daniel asked plaintively when Janet approached them on the subject. " Please. " he gripped Samantha's hand a little tighter. In the month that had passed, he'd always been the one reassuring her, but now he was beginning to realise how much her presence meant to him. He didn't know what to do with her out of his sight.

" It's for the best, " Janet reassured them. " You both need time apart to get your systems cleared. " She said this in a voice that brooked no argument, and reluctantly Daniel pulled his hand away from Samantha's.

" Tell me exactly what happened, Sam, " Janet said, as sympathetically as she could. Samantha was starting to show the emotional strain of being separated from Daniel, as well as something else. Janet wasn't to know the effect of the hormones still in her system was driving her crazy, increasingly more with every passing moment. About this time, she and Daniel would be thrashing around in bed. Instead, she was getting a thorough physical which was humiliating. Samantha didn't know why she was bothering to tell Janet what had happened, she was sure there was plenty of evidence on her to tell the story perfectly well.

Janet was aware of Samantha's obvious embarrassment, and she tried to remain professional despite her friend's discomfort. Janet had given her physicals before, but this was different. Samantha had never had a physical following a month of virtually nonstop sex, let alone had to tell the story to a close friend.

" Why don't you just let the evidence tell the story, " she said shortly. " I'm sure there's plenty of it. "

Janet stopped what she was doing to look Samantha in the eye. " I know this must be hard for you, " she said sympathetically. " But it's important that we know what happened. I'm not here to judge you, but if you want, you can do this with another doctor. "

Samantha shook her head. This was going to be awkward no matter _who_ examined her, and at least Janet wouldn't judge her, which was more then she could say for most of the people on this base. She bet there were maybe a dozen people who wouldn't think of her as some raving nymphomaniac. And everyone else would think she was a slut, and being the deep-down hypocrites that they were, that Daniel was a stud.

Daniel… God, she wished her were here with her. For a month he hadn't been out of her sight except for a few minutes every day when the Dorsa gave them their shots. Hmmm, that was something, Samantha had never worked out what the second shot was. The first one she figured was some kind of hormone stimulant, they felt the effects of _that_ pretty quickly, but the second one neither of them had felt any effects from.

She was confused about her relationship with Daniel, and she wanted him to be here with her. They had become very close, but had it just been because of the sex thing? Screwing someone for a month created its own kind of intimacy that could easily be confused with love.

" Sam? " Janet pressed, seeing her friend was lost in her thoughts – probably of Daniel. " What are you thinking about? "

" Daniel, " Samantha admitted. " He was pretty much my universe while we were – being held – and I don't know what to do without him. He said he'd support me. "

" I'm sure he will, " Janet reassured her. " But you have to understand from my point of view, I don't think it's a good idea for you to be together right now. " Samantha nodded unhappily, not really agreeing with her but knowing argument was pointless. " Now, why don't you tell me what happened? "

Reluctantly, slowly, Samantha related all the details of her month with Daniel. All the while, the hormones in her system were driving her crazier. " Sorry, " she said sheepishly when she realised Janet was looking at her, concerned. " It's been… longer then usual. "

" Do you know how often they gave you the shots? " Janet asked, knowing Samantha had an excellent instinct for time. She could be anywhere without a watch or even the sun's cycle to rely on and could keep a pretty good sense of time.

" It felt like about a day, " Samantha said. " The intervals were pretty regular – " as a scientist, that hadn't surprised her, and it had given her a time frame to work with " – and it was about thirty, thirty-five times, " she said. That was close to as many days as it had taken the Stargate Command to find and rescue them.

Janet nodded. " I'm just guessing here, but I'd say that means the effect of the hormones will wear off within a day, " she said. Not before things got a lot worse for them, though, but she opted not to mention that. " I'd like to take a few blood and urine tests to see if I can isolate what it was they gave you. " She hated the idea of cashing in on Samantha and Daniel's misfortune, but she could only imagine the applications that such a hormone treatment could have, if she could recreate it.

Samantha nodded, and complied with everything Janet asked for. " I'm going to put you in isolation for a while, " Janet said. " I think it's for the best that you don't interact with people until the effects of this hormone have worn off. " She didn't add that Samantha looked terrible, haunted. There was a hungry look in her eyes that made Janet think the best thing for her was to be away from any men who might think to take advantage of that.

" I want to see Daniel, " she said pathetically.

" That's not a good idea, " Janet replied patiently. " You can see him when you're both over this… thing. "

Samantha started to cry. " I need to see him, " she insisted.

" Sam, " Janet said in a low, firm voice. " Don't make me get security. " She felt sorry for her friend and for a moment questioned her decision to separate the two of them. If it wasn't for the hormones still in their systems, she wouldn't hesitate to let them be together. She figured Daniel was in a similar sorry state to Samantha. But she thought about how Hammond would feel if she allowed them to be together – and she was sure, once they were together, they would contrive a way to be alone – when they still had the hormones in their systems. She decided she would much rather have Daniel and Samantha jacked off at her then Hammond. " No, " she said, more firmly then before.

Samantha's face fell, but she didn't do anything to resist Janet's orders. She followed the doctor to one of the converted isolation rooms. " Is there anything you need? " Janet asked from the doorway as Samantha sat down, looking very sorry for herself.

" Daniel? " Samantha asked listlessly, and turned her head so she wouldn't have to see the pitying look in Janet's eyes. As an afterthought she added, " How did I check out? "

" Sam, the human body isn't designed to have that much sex for such a long period of time, " Janet told her honestly. " You're showing some pretty bad friction burns that I would have expected, that will heal in a few days, and I'd say in a few hours as the hormones start to wear off you'll start to realise how exhausted you are. I assume you didn't get a good night's sleep the whole time you were there? "

Samantha shook her head morosely, suddenly feeling very ashamed. Sometimes they'd been able to drift off to sleep for an hour or two but the urges always came back. At the time they'd been too preoccupied to notice, but Janet was right – the human body wasn't designed to take the kind of treatment that had been through.

Through the dimness of her brain preoccupied by sex, she had a vauge notion that only a whore would be able to work through injury and sleep deprivation to get laid. She wished Daniel was here so he could tell her otherwise. She hadn't realised what a comfort he'd been until right now, when she wanted – needed – him the most.

Janet stood in the doorway, unsure of what to do. The doctor in her knew the best thing for Samantha was time by herself to let the effects of the hormones wear off ; the friend in her wanted to hash it out with Samantha until the woman she knew returned from this pathetic, morose daze she was in. Finally, the doctor in her won out and she left Samantha to her own devices, telling her to call the infirmary if she wanted anything. Somehow, she knew that wouldn't be happening. Right now, Samantha didn't care about Janet. She didn't care about anything or anyone but Daniel.

With a sigh, Janet went to see Daniel, who's doctor had had the same idea and put him in isolation until the effects of the hormones wore off. He was curled up in a corner, his head resting on his knees and his arms wrapped around himself.

He looked up when he heard to door open, and from across the room Janet could see his blue eyes fade when he saw who it was. She tried not to take it personally ; it was clear even from several meters away that there was only one person he wanted to see.

" I've been told to stay here for my own good, " he said wryly. " That, and the good of the females on this base. " He tried to smile, but his smile came out as more of a grimace. From how Samantha had described the urges, and how they build up the longer it took for them to be sated, Daniel must be in hell right now.

" You'll thank us for it when you come out of it, " Janet promised. The look he gave her was one of disbelief.

" How's Sam doing? " he asked.

" I'd say about as well as you – or as bad as you, depending on how you look at it, " Janet replied. " I expect you'll both crash in a few hours from exhaustion. " She decided not to tell Daniel about Sam's other injuries. " What did Doctor Brown say? "

" Exhaustion, sleep deprivation, a few other things, " Daniel recited dispassionately. His was trying to keep his mind off the very attractive woman standing a few meters away from him. He was glad she was a few meters away. He didn't trust himself if she got within arm's reach. With a wry smile he added, " and he said I defied science with my ability to perform and every man in the world would want to get hold of that – whatever it was they gave us. "

" My ex husband could have used some of it, " Janet joked. Privately, she was interested in following up on Daniel's recovery – it wasn't physiologically possible for a man to perform like that in one night, let alone consistently over that period of time. He had to pay for it somewhere along the track. She took a step towards him so she was close enough that he could smell her perfume. He hadn't thought about it before, but he realised that Janet wore perfume. And a damn sexy one at that. He felt his body react instantly, exacerbating the crazy horniness he was already feeling.

" Janet, get out, " he growled, afraid of what might happen if she got any closer to him. Clearly, it wasn't just Samantha who he wanted – any woman would do. He'd already treated one dear friend like a whore, he wasn't about to do it again.

Janet looked quizzically at him. The last time she'd heard that tone of voice from him was when he'd gotten radiation poisoning on Langara and didn't want to infect anyone else. " Daniel? " she asked uncertainly.

" Get away from me before I do something I regret, " he ordered, and Janet understood from the tone in his voice and the crazy look in his eye that he had good reason to be afraid of himself right now. Hell, _she_ had good reason to be afraid of him right now. She backed away, retreating to the door.

" I'm sorry, " he mumbled when she made her exit. It was clear from his tone he hated himself right now.

" It's not your fault, " Janet replied sincerely. She wasn't sure if Daniel believed her.

Daniel's reaction to her deeply disturbed her. She didn't blame him, but nonetheless, she shuddered to think of what might have happened if she'd gotten any closer to him. She decided to go and check on Samantha. She was no doubt going through the same thing, and would need a friend.

McKay had been trying to find someone who would update him on Samantha and Daniel, but no-one would say anything. He just _knew_ Jack had told everyone to keep their mouths shut – that was typical of the Colonel, never mind the only reason Samantha and Daniel were home at all was because of McKay, he considered the scientist beneath him and as such wasn't entitled to know anything. Well, McKay was a brilliant man and there was more then one way to find out what he wanted to know.

He paid a visit to Major Carter.

He had always found her attractive. There was a turn-on about a woman who was almost a match for your intelligence. Especially one who was as attractive and ballsy as Samantha was.

Seeing her stark naked and in the throes of passion had been an image he hadn't been able to get out of his mind, not that he wanted to. Although he had conveniently erased Daniel from his memory and focused on what it would be like to be in bed with Samantha. She'd be a real hellcat, he thought.

It was easy enough for McKay to get past the guards at Samantha's door, who hadn't been told exactly why they were guarding her – Janet had thought the less people who knew the better. They'd only been told not to let anyone in without her permission, but after all, it had been McKay who had found the two of them, he was entitled to talk to Samantha, his fellow scientist. He wasn't armed and Samantha really knew how to give a man hell for getting too close, how much harm could he do?

When Samantha saw McKay, she was hit by two instincts. One was to politely thank him for working out where they were being held, and then not-so-politely tell him to go to hell, where she was sure Satan had a special place for chauvinists. The other was a reminder of her initial attraction to him. He had driven her nuts with his 'dumb blond' comments, but it had kind of been a rush to work with someone who was smarter then her. It had been a challenge to get the better of him, and Samantha had always gotten off on challenges.

And while he wasn't absolutely hunky, he wasn't dog-ugly either. Samantha recalled thinking Daniel was kind of geeky-looking when she'd first met him. Subconsciously, she licked her lips and couldn't help but staring at McKay's mouth, wondering what his kiss would feel like. Clearly, it wasn't just Daniel who she wanted – any man would do.

" You look like crap, " was the first thing McKay remarked on, in typical McKay fashion. Although she had a wild look in her eyes that distracted him from her dishevelled appearance. Like a tigress. _Or a hellcat_.

" You always knew how to make a girl feel good about herself, " Samantha retorted huskily. She wasn't offended by his comment – she _knew_ he was checking her out, the way his eyes roamed her body freely. Rather then kick his ass, she looked defiant – almost inviting.

" You never needed me to make you feel good about it, you always thought you were hot stuff, " McKay returned, slowly taking steps closer to her. By now she should have kicked his ass for such a provocative statement. She hadn't, so clearly she wanted him. McKay had always thought Samantha had wanted him – hadn't she admitted to being attracted to him when they first met?

" I think _you're_ the one who thought I was hot stuff, " Samantha retorted. Nope, she definitely wasn't acting like herself. Maybe she'd finally come to her senses, or lowered that snooty reserve of hers.

" Maybe I did, " McKay returned, the way he stared at her confirming this. He quite liked this game they were playing, circling each other, silently daring each other to make the first move.

Samantha did, virtually throwing herself against McKay and kissing him. He had never been with such an aggressive woman, let alone one who ranked so high in the airforce and didn't need his help with anything. And he quite liked it. He wasted no time kissing her back. His hands roamed her body with almost the same urgency that she was touching him. He inhaled, and noticed she was suspiciously clean. _Good_. The last thing he wanted was any traces of that archaeologist geek on her.

In no time, their kisses had become very steamy, and he pushed her onto a bed, climbing on top of her. She moaned in delight when he moved his hands inside her shirt, feeling the bare skin, moving his hands upwards to feel her breasts. She was only too eager to respond in kind. Secretly, he'd always thought Samantha Carter was a closet nympho, and this only proved it. He'd always known she wanted him.

" McKay, " she growled when he tugged off her shirt and began kissing her breasts, arching her back to meet him.

" Rodney, " he corrected, his hand wandering roughly downwards. She didn't seem to mind being dominated ; in fact she seemed to want it. McKay wasn't surprised. High-ranking females officers always wanted to be dominated.

" Rodney, " she gasped when he slid his hand between her legs. She was so hot for him she'd call him anything, he thought, his ego inflating when he felt how wet she was. He was far too arrogant to think it wasn't his doing but the hormones in her system.

He returned to playing with her breasts, enjoying making her squirm, gasping and moaning in delight as he fingered her. " You want me, babe? " he asked teasingly.

" Yes, " Samantha said gutturally. " Oh, God, yes… _please_… "

He had never had a woman beg for it before, and it was the biggest turn on. He was going to nail Major Carter, and she was _begging_ for it. He began undoing his pants.

" Rodney McKay, what the hell do you think you're doing? " came the very outraged voice of Doctor Janet Jackson, a woman McKay had clashed with in the past. You gave a woman enough IQ points to get to medical school and suddenly she was too good for any man.

McKay stared at her. " I would have thought it was pretty obvious, " he responded. Then, just in case Janet got any ideas that he'd forced himself onto Samantha he added, " she wanted it. "

" She's in no position to consent, " Janet snapped. This was low, even by McKay's chauvinistic standards. " Sorry for giving you enough credit to think you knew that. "

" Hey! " McKay said indignantly, scrambling up. " I came in here to talk to her and she _threw _herself at me! I know what the effects of drugs are, that's not it, " he added sullenly. He had learned from bitter experience that consent all on its own wasn't enough to escape a rape charge.

Janet stared at him, unable to believe the sheer arrogance of McKay. " You honestly thought you made her horny all on your own? " she asked.

" Well, yeah, " McKay responded. In his defence, Janet realised, he really had been basing his judgement on his previous experience with drugged women – glazed eyes, slurred speech, lack of co-ordination, none of which Samantha displayed. Which kind of made sense, because she wasn't under the influence of any _drug_, per se. If you didn't know any better – which McKay should have – it would be easy to think Samantha was in a position to give consent. By his own perverted definition, he was innocent.

" Get out, " Janet ordered.

" I didn't do anything! " he complained indignantly.

" Rodney McKay, get the hell out of my sight before I have you court-martialled, " Janet threatened. " Or better yet, I'll inform Doctor Jackson of this. "

_That_ got McKay's attention ; the last thing he wanted was Daniel going territorial on him. " Fine, " he spat, feeling he was being made out to be the villain. He stormed off, sulking.

" Are you OK? " Janet asked, turning her back so Samantha could put her top back on. Damn those stupid guards, she should have made herself clearer.

" Fine, " Samantha mumbled, wanting to curl up and died. She had almost had sex with _Rodney McKay_ – and the only thing that had stopped her was Janet's intervention, not her own. She was such a slut. She started to cry.

" Hey, " Janet said, reaching out to hug Samantha. " It wasn't your fault. I can't believe he was so _thick_, he should have known better. "

" You don't understand, " Samantha sobbed. " I feel like a _whore_. Right now, I feel like I'd do any man who would have me. "

" That's why I put you in here, for your own safety, " Janet said softly. " Sam, listen to me, if you'd been given Rohypnol, you'd know you were responsible for anything you did, yes? " Tearfully, Samantha nodded. " It's the same principle, you're not in a position to be responsible for your actions. What McKay did was wrong and I'll see he gets reprimanded for it, but it was _not your fault_. "

" It feels like it is, " Samantha cried.

" Well, it's not. Sam, this will wear off soon – it has to. And after that, I'll let you see Daniel – that's what you really want, isn't it? "

Samantha nodded. " I know no-one will believe us, but we became really close while we were – _there_. There were times, after we'd had sex, that things felt almost normal, and we'd talk a lot. He was my universe. I don't know what to do with him not here. "

Janet decided not to say she thought Daniel felt the same way. She'd let them sort it out when they were both in a position to think clearly.

Which reminded her… " I've got to go and see Daniel about something, " she told Samantha. " I'll be back in ten minutes, OK? "

Samantha shook her head. " I'd rather be alone right now, " she said softly.

Janet thought about trying to penetrate the wall Samantha's thoughts lay behind, but she realised it wasn't her Samantha wanted to talk to. She sighed, wishing there was some way she could give Samantha and Daniel what they wanted – each other. But that wasn't an option, and a day apart wouldn't hurt them. " You call me if you need anything, " she said, leaving Samantha to her thoughts.

Daniel looked as bad as when she'd left him, possibly worse. " I brought you something, " she said, producing a box of tissues and a tube of lubricant. " I know it's not Sam, but – "

He smiled weakly. " Thanks, " he said. " How is she? "

" OK, given the circumstances, " Janet said vaguely. She decided not to tell him about McKay ; let him get worked up about it when he was thinking straight.

" I promised I'd be there for her, I feel like I'm letting her down, " Daniel said sadly.

" She said something like that, what's that about? " Janet asked.

" She's worried… about her reputation, and what people are going to say about her. There were times when we were thinking almost straight, and we talked about a lot of stuff… she was convinced there would be a lot of people who wouldn't believe she hadn't had a choice, would call her a slut… I promised I wouldn't let that happen, that I'd support her… and I'm not. "

" You know this is for your own good, don't you? " Janet asked.

Daniel sighed. " In my head, I do. But in my heart… for a month it was just the two of us in this crazy, intimate situation. I don't like not having her around. "

" It won't be for long, the hormones should wear off soon. Then I promise you can see each other… hash things out. Do you – do you want to talk about it? "

" No, thankyou, " Daniel said quietly. Like with Samantha, it was obvious there was only one person he wanted to talk to. " I'd like to be alone, if you don't mind. "

" Of course I don't. If you want anything, just call me, " Janet said as she got up to go, leaving Daniel alone with his thoughts.

He thought a lot, especially after he brought himself a release. Masturbation was something of a let-down after the steamy month he'd spent with Samantha, but it was better then nothing. Once he had that release, it was a lot easier to think… and he didn't like a lot of the things that came to him.

He and Samantha had had sex sometimes ten times a day for the duration of their captivity. That wasn't humanly possible, only brought out by the hormones that were crammed into their systems. That was the first distinction Daniel failed to make – that they hadn't exactly been in a 'normal' situation.

He had a vauge memory of someone – probably Samantha, in one of her more feminazi moments – telling him that rape was having sex with someone who didn't consent, or wasn't in a position to consent, like when they were under the influence of a mind-altering substance. Well, those hormones they'd been pumped full of had well and truly altered their states of mind, making them insanely horny. His reaction to Janet was proof that it hadn't even about Samantha – it had just been about getting laid.

About fucking.

Oh, God, he had always hated that word. It was so… _callous_, describing an act of animals and lot love. _Yeah, well, that's I did_, Daniel told himself. _You treated her like an animal, someone to satisfy your desire_.

A memory of Samantha in his arms, screaming his name as she climaxed, came to him, but it brought him no salve to his burning conscience. It didn't matter that she'd wanted it, it mattered that she hadn't consented to it.

He had raped her. And he had treated her like a whore. He had dominated her, controlled her, treated like his own personally sex slave to satisfy his lust. She would have done anything for him, practically had, and he had taken shameless advantage of it. He felt the bile rise in his throat when he thought about how he had acted.

Crawling into bed, he curled into a tiny ball, regressing into his memories – and his guilt. Samantha would never want to see him again after this, after the way he had treated her. If she couldn't stand McKay because of a few chauvinistic remarks, he could only imagine how she'd feel about _him_ when she came to her senses. They had been friends, she had trusted him, and how had he repaid her?

By raping her and treating her like a whore.

" Oh, God, " he whispered to himself, disgust and shame flooding through his body. He felt like scum, less then scum, for what he had done to her. She would never want to speak to him again, and he couldn't blame her.

After this was over, he wouldn't approach her. If she could find it in her heart to forgive him, which he doubted, she would approach him. But he wouldn't bring any more grief to her life, not after the crap he'd already heaped on her.

His heart ached at the idea of cutting all ties with Samantha. He loved her. But she deserved much better then him. After the way he had treated her, the least he owed her was to leave her alone.

As the effect of the hormones started to wear off, Daniel's exhausted body drifted off into a long but trouble sleep for almost twenty hours.

Samantha had a lot of time to think, and she didn't like the conclusions she came to.

She had acted like a whore when she'd been with Daniel. The hormones in her system had made her so horny, made her lose all inhibitions. She would have done anything he'd asked, and she was pretty sure she had.

She knew from bitter experience that men loved to fuck women who would do anything, but they rarely respected them.

Fucking… it was a euphemism she had grown up with, being in such a male-dominated institution, and one she had always hated. But there was no better word to describe how she'd been with Daniel. They had fucked like animals, she had acted like a whore.

She didn't think she could face him after that. And she had too much pride to pretend like everything was alright. She couldn't stand to pretend to be friends with Daniel when she knew he was secretly thinking she was a whore.

Only a whore would have done the things she'd done with Daniel and loved every sordid minute of it.

" Oh, God, " she sobbed, curling up into a little ball as the memories flooded back. When this was all over, she wasn't going to try and pretend like everything was as it had been with her and Daniel. If he could find it in himself to respect her, he would approach her. But she wouldn't go grovelling to him. She might have made herself his whore, but she still had some pride.

As the effect of the hormones started to wear off, Samantha's exhausted body drifted off into a long but trouble sleep for almost twenty hours.

Daniel and Samantha woke up within half an hour of each other, well rested in body, although their minds were filled with unpleasant thoughts. And their bodies ached.

" That makes sense, " Janet told both of them. " You've both had a pretty strenuous workout. Your muscles have been overworked. " She noticed both of them flinched at the reference, like they didn't want to think about it. They must both be feeling pretty low, not to mention embarrassed. She made a mental note to insist to Hammond that they be made to talk to the base phycologist before they be allowed back on missions.

She suggested that they might like to see each other, and their responses surprised her.

" I talk to him… later, " Samantha said vaguely. Like hell she was going to approach Daniel after the way she had behaved.

" It's not important, I'll see her around, " Daniel said, with equal vagueness. Like hell he was going to approach Samantha after the way he had behaved.

Janet had been surprised. " Are you sure? You seemed pretty keen yesterday. "

" Positive, " Daniel had said, trying far too hard to convince her.

" Absolutely, " Samantha had said, trying far too hard to convince her. Janet underlined the note in her head to talk to Hammond about them. Something had happened in the last twenty-four hours – they had gone from insisting they had to be together to being, at best, apathetic about a reunion – and more likely, they didn't want to see each other.

She let it go for the time being and scheduled follow-up physicals with both of them. " And I'd abstain from sex for a while, too, " she added the obvious. They both blushed when she said that.

"… They're both very embarrassed, that's to be expected, " Janet told Hammond later. " And there's something else there – they don't want to be with each other, and yesterday it was all they wanted. "

" Do you think that's going to be an issue? "

" It might be, it's hard to say. It might be nothing but just to be on the safe side I'm recommending they not go on any offworld missions until they've spoken to Doctor Ryan. "

" I think that's a very good idea, Doctor Fraiser, " Hammond agreed. " But maybe they might open up to you, as a friend? "

Janet made a face which made it clear she disagreed. " I think _because_ I'm a friend they're not very likely to open up to me, " she said.

Samantha spent most of the next week holed up in her office, knowing everyone was talking about her. No-one would say anything to her face, of course, but she knew – she'd walk into a room, and the conversation would stop. People gave her looks which weren't difficult to interpret. And a couple of times she heard the words 'slut' 'whore' and 'nymphomaniac'. She had known they wouldn't understand. And she was pretty sure McKay was adding fuel to the fire with his version of events.

She tried not to let it affect her. They were just jealous of her success, jealous and resentful. And she might have been able to deal with it, if it wasn't for Daniel's aloofness.

He had promised her he'd stick by her, but he was nowhere to be seen. He spent a lot of time holed up in his office, throwing himself into his work. Obviously, he wanted nothing to do with her.

She was whore, someone to while away a few hours in bed but not someone you'd want to take home to your parents.

A few times the thought had reduced her to tears, but only ever in the privacy of her office. She would never show them how much they had hurt her.

Well, life went on. Hammond had ordered her to speak to the base phycologist, Doctor Ryan, which she had, making idle chit-chat to while the hour away. She did a good impression of a well-adjusted woman and went away with his recommendation that she was fit to return to offworld missions.

Janet wasn't so easily convinced, and behind Samantha's back she kept recommending against them both going offworld. There was just something _off_ about their behaviour and she didn't think they were ready to be exposed to that kind of stress.

Of course, they'd had to be separated, something they both took very well – welcomed the news, even. Janet didn't understand it – neither did Jack. If nothing else, then SG-1 had an excellent camaraderie and while Daniel and Samantha might understand that after what had happened between them, they couldn't stay on the same team, they shouldn't have welcomed the decision.

At least it had been an easy one to make, who left the team. When Daniel heard they were being split up, he immediately volunteered to go. " I know there's been a lot of talk about Sam, to be honest, I'm concerned about her being with anyone but Jack and Teal'c. I know they understand what happened. "

So there it was, concern for Samantha – Janet knew it had to be down there somewhere. They couldn't have just switched off their feelings for each other. So why were they pretending they didn't care?

It didn't make any sense. She tried to talk to them, but they both clammed up at the first sign of a deep and meaningful.

The truth was, Daniel felt terrible for the way things had turned out for Samantha. It was easy enough for him, people thought he was a stud, a legend for nailing the great, aloof Samantha Carter. The men thought he was a legend for penetrating that aloofness, and the women thought he must have something legendary going for him if the aloof Samantha Carter jumped into bed for him.

No, it was easy enough for him to face the aftermath of his actions, but for Samantha – he told anyone who brought it up what had happened and he'd gotten into a few punch-ups with men who thought nothing of referring to 'that Carter slut' within his earshot (Janet used it as an excuse to keep him from going offworld, when he was fine) but it wasn't achieving anything.

If she'd have anything to do with him, he'd insist that she be with him, literally by his side. He was aware that their distance from each other was only heaping coals onto the fire – a sentiment along the lines of, if he has any respect for her, why isn't he standing by her? But Samantha wanted nothing to do with him, she had made that pretty clear. She stayed in her office so she wouldn't have to see him, when she passed him in the corridors she refused to make eye contact and when she was absolutely forced to exchange words with him, it was with a minimum of monosyllables.

He had tried to talk to her once, about the rumours. She had physically shrunk from him and insisted everything was OK. That had been his one and only attempt to patch things up with her.

She had been too proud to accept his charity. So he felt a little bad that her reputation was in tatters and he wanted to make it up to her. How, exactly? By pretending he still respected her. No, thanks. She'd much rather go it alone then accept the bones he threw her out of pity.

Aware of the sorry state of relations between Samantha and Daniel, Janet kept making excuses to keep them on Earth. She actually had a good reason – she was still trying to work out what the second substance was that Samantha and Daniel had been injected with each day.

It had been easy enough to isolate the two substances from their bloodwork. One of them was a hormone stimulant which made Viagra look like a placebo. Given its potency, she was quite impressed they'd held out as long as they did – twenty minutes would have been a lifetime against this thing.

There would be a huge market for it. It would be easy enough to recreate it. Not exactly the weapons the top brass was looking for, but it would certainly offset some of the mammoth costs involved with the Stargate program.

It was the second substance that had Janet stumped. It was only until Janet looked at it another way that she realised what it was.

The hormones that _should_ have been in Samantha's system from her three-monthly birth control injections were nowhere to be found. Not a trace. It was like they had been completely obliterated.

It turned out, by a fertility drug that had a potency about a hundred times more then what was currently available, both on the market and being tested.

She approached Samantha about a fresh batch of tests, which Samantha complied with. " Have you found something? " she asked.

" Maybe, " Janet said vaguely. " I'll run some tests and get back to you. "

Two days later, she called Samantha into the privacy of her office. " Sit down, " she directed Samantha.

" What is it? " Samantha asked, immediately concerned by the tone in Janet's voice. " Is it about those new tests? "

Janet nodded. " I don't think you're going to like this, " she said gravely.

Samantha's heart caught in her throat. It couldn't possibly be worse then what she was already going through. " Please, " she begged. " Just tell me. "

" I worked out what the second substance was, " Janet said. " It's a fertility drug. You and Daniel were both given it. "

Samantha visibly paled. " I'm on birth control, " she whispered painfully.

Janet shook her head. " This drug – it's incredible. It's a hundred times more powerful then anything currently available. It could get just about anyone with a working uterus pregnant. The birth control you were on would have been about as effective as throwing a bucket of water on a bushfire. This drug you were given completely obliterated it. You're young, healthy – you probably conceived the first time you and Daniel had sex. "

" I'm pregnant, " Samantha said dully.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four 

"_I'm pregnant_. _"_

After everything that had happened, Samantha had thought the worst of it was over. And now this.

She was pregnant.

" How far along am I? "

" Six weeks, " Janet said. " It must have been the first time you and Daniel slept together, or around then, " she repeated. Then she added, " I'm sorry, Sam. I wish I had better news. "

She smiled a brittle smile. " It's not your fault, " she said distantly.

" What do you want to do about it? " Janet asked.

" I don't know, " she said honestly. A thought suddenly occurred to her. " You can't tell Daniel, " she said.

" It's not my place, " Janet reassured her. " But don't you think he has a right to know? He might not have the right to tell you what to do, but he does have the right to know. "

Samantha laughed almost hysterically. " I don't think he'd care, " she said bitterly.

Janet stared incredulously at Samantha. " Where the hell did you get that idea? "

" He won't have anything to do with me, " Samantha replied. " He thinks I'm a whore, like everyone else does. "

" _I_ don't, " Janet contradicted her friend. " There are some people who still have a lot of respect for you, Sam. "

" A minority, " Samantha said. The crappiness of the situation was coming back to her, as much as she tried to pretend she didn't care. The whole base was gossiping about her, Daniel would have nothing to do with her, and now she was pregnant.

She didn't think things could possible get worse. Mind you, she'd thought that ten minutes ago so maybe she shouldn't say anything more on the matter.

Janet looked sympathetic. She had some idea of what Samantha was going through. The gossip on her was terrible, and Janet suspected she was only hearing the tip of the iceberg. People tended not to say their most vicious things about a person while their friends were within earshot. " Daniel deserves to know, " she said.

" Why? So he can do something stupid like ask me to marry him? " Samantha challenged.

" Would that be such a bad thing? "

" Yes – if he was only doing because 'it's the right thing'. I don't need his pity. He made it pretty fucking clear he thinks I'm a whore. "

" He does not, " Janet tried to defend Daniel. At least she knew why Samantha was acting so indifferent about Daniel – the poor woman had convinced herself he thought she was a whore. " He cares about you, Sam. When I told him about having to transfer one of you he immediately volunteered. He wanted you to stay with Jack and Teal'c because he knew they respected you. "

Samantha shrugged. " Then why hasn't he spoken to me? " she whispered tearfully. Goddamnit, she was not going to cry. She swallowed back a sob.

" I don't know. Maybe he's scared. " Samantha looked at her disbelievingly. " Well, it's just an idea. You should try talking to him. "

" No thanks. I don't need his pity. I still have some pride. "

Janet shook her head, trying not to let the pity she felt for Samantha show – and it wasn't pity for the situation she was in at the moment, but that she was too blind to see how much Daniel cared about her. " What are you going to do? " she asked.

Samantha shrugged. She had three options, each of them unfathomable. She knew she couldn't have an abortion, any more then she could hand her baby over to someone else. And as for actually having a child… " I have to be alone, " she said, rising quickly.

" Sam, if you ever want to talk – "

" I know, " Samantha said. Janet doubted she'd be seeing Samantha in her office anytime soon.

" Until you've decided what to do, " Janet asked as a final thing, " I'm recommending you not go to offworld. I won't tell Hammond why but until you've decided what to do, I don't think you should risk it. "

" Fine, " Samantha mumbled, not caring. She made it to the privacy of her office, locked the door, pulled down the shades and sank down on her couch to cry silently.

She was pregnant.

She could just imagine the field day the vicious gossips would have when _that_ little titbit came out. And it would come out – it always did.

Slowly, she began to gather her thoughts. She was six weeks pregnant. She had at least a month before she started to show, and then only to someone who was particularly observant. She had a month to decide what to do. She had made life-altering decisions in much less time.

Somehow, this felt like the most life-altering decision she'd ever made. And she was going through it alone. She didn't want to be alone.

In a moment of weakness and against her better judgement, she decided that maybe Daniel did have a right to know and she took a walk to his office.

" Captain Sanchez, " Daniel remarked dryly when the beautiful 2IC of SG-9 invited herself into his office. That her skirt was a little too high and her top two buttons were undone didn't escape his notice. Selena Sanchez was a hot little number, and she had made it clear she was very keen on him.

So had a dozen other women on the base. It didn't stop him from thinking about Samantha all the time.

She had made it clear by distancing himself from her that she wanted nothing to do with him. He couldn't blame her, but it didn't stop his heart from breaking just a little whenever he saw her. Couldn't women like Selena see that?

" A bunch of us are going out for drinks, " Selena said, perching herself precariously on the corner of Daniel's desk. " I thought you might like to come with. " She smiled flirtatiously.

He made the mistake of looking her in the eye. He couldn't deny she was a beautiful woman. Much more attractive then Samantha was, it was a wonder she'd settled for the airforce when she could have been a world-famous model.

" I'm busy, " he said.

" Oh, come on, you're always busy, " Selena cooed. " You should come out and have fun. " She reached out and stroked his arm.

He wrenched away from her. " I said I'm busy, " he said shortly.

Selena pouted. " I don't know what you're problem is, " she complained, swinging her legs provocatively. " Most men, when they have a gorgeous woman come onto them, can't wait to take advantage. "

He winced at the words 'take advantage' ; if Selena had been looking for a way to ingratiate herself into his life, she had only succeeded in doing the opposite. " I'm not most men. "

Selena smiled. " So I heard. " She jumped off the desk and stood inches away from Daniel. She was also wearing too-high heels because she was at eye level with him. " No-one has to know, if that's what you're worried about, " she said invitingly.

He tried to step away, but she was too quick for him, moving in time with him so her body brushed up against his. He had to admit, she was a very attractive woman. With very kissable lips. " That's not what I'm worried about, " he said.

" Then kiss me, " Selena invited. " I never kiss a man first. "

There was a pause as Selena and Daniel stared each other down, each willing the other to back down or make a move. Finally Selena kissed him. She was a sexual predator and she kissed like it, but it wasn't entirely unpleasant. He found himself kissing her back.

" I thought you didn't kiss a man first, " he said when he pulled away from her.

" I changed my mind, " she said provocatively, and in a moment of insanity, Daniel decided to kiss her again.

It was that moment in which Samantha chose to make her entrance.

_This is not fair_, Daniel thought when he realised they had an audience. Samantha would never believe it was one kiss in a moment in insanity.

" Sam! " he called after her, forgetting all about Selena and going after Samantha. He caught up with her in the hall. " Sam, I swear that wasn't what it looked like. "

" You mean you _didn't_ have your tongue down her throat? " Samantha asked sarcastically. " A word of advice, _Doctor_ Jackson – if you're going to screw every female on the base, at least shut the door. "

" It wasn't like that! " he yelled in frustration. " Why did you come here, anyway? " he asked, hoping to get the topic off him and Selena.

" It doesn't matter, " Samantha said.

It wasn't much, but it was the first they'd spoken in two weeks – and _she'd_ come to _him_. Daniel wasn't about to let that go. " Yes it does, " he insisted. " Let's go get a coffee and talk. "

Her eyes spat with indignation. " Go to hell, Daniel, " she hissed, all her bitterness lashing out at him. She wrested her arm away from and stalked off.

He didn't care! If he did, he wouldn't be screwing Captain Sanchez! Samantha knew Sanchez had been behind a lot of the gossip about her – Daniel probably knew too, and didn't care. They probably laughed about it together.

Now she was truly alone.

Daniel returned to his office, hoping Selena had had the good sense to leave, but instead she was sitting on his desk, having taken off her shirt and skirt to reveal lingerie that Daniel knew was definitely not regulation. " What the hell are you doing? " he growled.

" I would have thought it was pretty obvious, " Selena said, pouting provocatively. " You have a reputation for being quite… _virile_. "

" Gossips are always wrong, you should know that, Captain Sanchez, " Daniel retorted. " Get dressed and get out of here. I'm not interested. "

Selena's provocative pout turned to a scowl. " Are you interested in that slut Carter? " she demanded, provoking Daniel into doing something he'd never done before. He hit a woman, sending Selena reeling.

She screamed, more from the indignation of being struck then any real pain. " You bastard! " she yelled at him. " You haven't heard the end of this! "

" Oh, I think I have, " Daniel challenged. " I'm going to get a coffee. When I get back, you'd better be gone or I'll press charges for sexual harassment. " _That_ got the smirk off her face.

Daniel took his time, taking the long way to the mess hall so he'd have time to calm down. He didn't know what Samantha had come by his office, but it had to be important for her to lower herself to do it. And now he'd ruined his chances forever.

_Sam, I'm sorry_, he told her mentally, the only way he could have a conversation with her. _I love you and I'm sorry_.

He didn't know what else to do.

Because she was no longer going offworld, Samantha was allowed to wear civilian clothes, and paranoid about her figure, she began wearing shapeless, baggy tracksuits. Mostly she stayed in her office, venturing out only to get food. Her shapeless clothes meant the men on the base stopped hitting on her, although it gave the women something more to talk about – how Major Carter had really let herself go, the tramp. She was pretty sure Captain Sanchez was behind much of it. The woman was a bully and a bitch.

Daniel deserved her.

Daniel had tried once to talk to her. He had noticed her neglect of her appearance and it worried him. " I'm concerned about you, " he said. " You're not acting yourself. "

" You never knew me to know if I'm myself or not, " Samantha spat, and Daniel had left her alone after that. He considered this new batch of rumours, instigated by Selena, to be his fault. If he had handled things differently – Selena Sanchez was a bitch and a bully.

She and McKay deserved each other. In the same way Hitler and Eva Braun did.

So he kept his distance from Samantha, watching her from afar whenever she emerged from her office. And then the penny dropped. He had spent a month with her naked. He knew her body intimately. He realised she was getting heavier, and not from a general weight gain.

He waited until she next emerged from her office into the mess hall, looking typically defiant to the leers and whispers. He was with his new team and he made his excuses, siding up alongside her.

" Major Carter, " he said politely, " I need to speak to you about something. In private. "

She recognised the tone of voice. He was just giving her the chance to make a graceful exit before he dragged her off kicking and screaming. Sensing her lack of resistance, he gently but firmly propelled her into the nearest room, a storage closet.

" Is this about Captain Sanchez? " Samantha demanded as soon as he shut the door behind them. It had been a while since they'd been so close in such a small space. Her heart ached to be with him. So she put on a facade of indifference and irritation.

" It's about us, " Daniel said gruffly, backing her against the door and pressing his hands against her body, under her sweatshirt… she gasped at the touch of his fingers in her bare skin. It had been so long. Too long.

" I've put on weight, " she mumbled. " Too much crappy food, not enough exercise. "

His eyes flashed with hurt that she thought him so stupid. " Give me credit for knowing your body, Sam. How far along are you? " he asked.

She squirmed. " Two months, " she admitted.

" And it's mine? " he asked. Her eyes flashed and she went to slap him. " Sorry, " Daniel apologised immediately. " I didn't mean it like that. Is that what you came to see me about. "

Samantha nodded. " I told you it didn't matter, " she reminded him.

" This does matter, Sam, did you think I was just going to abandon you? "

" You've done an excellent job of it so far, " Samantha reminded him bitterly. He stared at her incredulously.

" You think I've abandoned you? " he asked.

Samantha's eyes flashed angrily, and she pushed Daniel's hands away from her. " What else do you call not speaking to me for a month? " she spat. " No, I don't want to hear it, " she said when he opened his mouth to defend himself. " I don't care anymore. It's why I didn't tell you. I figured you didn't have a say in it. "

" How can I not have a say in it? It's my kid! " Then, as Samantha had predicted to Janet, he dropped to his knees, taking her hands in his. " Marry me, " he blurted out.

" Get up, " Samantha hissed. " You're making a fool of yourself. Do you think I'm going to marry you just because you had the misfortune to knock me up and it's the right thing to do? "

Daniel rose to his feet, hurt clear in his eyes. " Did it ever occur to you, " he started in a shaky voice, " that I want to marry you because I love you? " Afraid if he stayed any longer he'd start to cry, he slipped past Samantha, leaving her alone once more.

Did he really love her, or did he just convince himself he did so it would be convenient to marry her for the sake of their child? Samantha didn't even know if she wanted to keep it yet.

Oh, who was she kidding? She wanted this child more then anything. She just didn't want it without Daniel.

Daniel locked himself in his office to think. Samantha was pregnant with his child, and she'd had no intention of telling him – or if she had, she'd been easily scared off which suggested her heart hadn't been in it in the first place.

Had she planned on just getting bigger and bigger until she couldn't hide behinds those tends she called tracksuits, or had she planned on having an abortion and not telling anyone?

The idea of Samantha killing their child made the bile rise in his throat. It was almost as bad as the idea of Samantha going through it alone. Damnit, whatever she'd thought of him, he'd had a right to know.

Did she think so little of him that she didn't see fit to grant that right?

He had to talk to her, really talk to her. He wouldn't take a brush off for an answer this time. First he needed to think things through, before he burst into a rage at her for not telling him.

The next Day, McKay ran into her. More precisely, he'd been looking for the opportunity to spend time with her, between being hold up in her office (which she always kept locked) and making dashes to the mess hall.

He figured they had some unfinished business.

He was surprised at how distracted he'd been by her. After all, she was just another woman, she wasn't special. But she had really got him hot and bothered that day, and he hadn't been able to stop thinking about it.

He was convinced she was equally hot and bothered about him.

Samantha cringed when she saw McKay and quickened her pace in the hope she'd get to her office before he did. The man was in sufferable, and he didn't understand she hadn't been in control of herself that day after her return. For Christ sake's, she'd been in isolation for her own good – didn't that tell him something?

Apparently not. Whenever he got close to her, he made a crude remark, letting his hand linger on her arm or her ass until she walked away. Still, he didn't get the point. He was convinced all she needed was a good talking to away from prying eyes.

Samantha stifled a shudder of revulsion when McKay cornered her against the outside wall of her office. " Major Carter, " he said pompously.

" Doctor McKay, " she said coolly. He wished she would use his first name like she had that day she threw herself at him. " What do you want? "

" You know, I recall a time when you weren't such an ice queen, " he reminded her, putting his hand possessively on her bicep. She tried to throw him off or sidestep him, but he was too quick and too strong for her on both counts.

" And I would have thought even _you _knew when a woman wasn't in a position to give consent, " she retorted, her eyes flashing like a cornered animal – which was what she felt like. It was times like this that she missed Daniel more then ever.

God, she loved him. She had been wrong to be so short with him yesterday, and now she had pushed him away for good.

McKay's grip on her arm tightened and he moved in closer to her. " I've known women who were under the influence, and that wasn't it, " he insisted.

Samantha felt her throat constrict painfully at the unfairness of her situation. If she'd been drugged, people would have understood. But because the hormones had made her want it, everyone treated her like a slut. Men came onto her constantly, although not as persistently as McKay. it was why she'd retreated to her office.

" Please, " she said. " I just want to be left alone. "

" I bet you wouldn't want to be left alone if I were Doctor Jackson, " McKay pointed out, and the look in her eyes infuriated him. What she needed was a good taste of the McKay magic. He kissed her, his lips pressed hard against hers, although some survival instinct told him it wasn't a good idea to stick his tongue down her throat. With one hand still tightly on her arm, he started fondling her breasts with his free hand.

Samantha bucked against McKay wildly, but he held her firmly against the wall. She felt nausea rose from her stomach as he kissed her brutally, fondled her as if she were a piece of meat he'd bought and paid for.

It was obvious to anyone but McKay that he was assaulting her, Daniel included. He'd been coming to hash things out with Samantha and the first thing he saw when he rounded the corner was McKay forcing himself on Samantha. His heart lurched. He had heard the rumours about them, of course, but he'd chalked it up to McKay's fertile imagination – and wishful thinking. Now he couldn't help but wonder if there had been any truth to the rumours. After all, he had been scared of what he might do to Janet or any woman who got to close to him while the hormones were raging through his body – it was entirely plausible that Samantha had been as horny as he had been.

" Get the hell away from her, " Daniel demanded. McKay jumped away, frightened by the tone in Daniel's voice. He wasn't afraid of the court martial Janet had threatened him with – his friendship with Kinsey had taken care of that – but Doctor Jackson was an entirely different story.

McKay backed away, his hands up defensively. " Hey, I didn't mean any harm, I didn't realise she was your girl. "

" She's not, " Daniel growled, interjecting himself between Samantha and McKay. Samantha took the opportunity to escape to her office. " But you will treat her with as much respect as you would if she was, " he said. " Have you got that. "

McKay nodded vigorously, fear in his eyes. Doctor Jackson looked capable of murder right now, and McKay wasn't prepared to test the boundaries of his temper. " Get out of here, " Daniel ordered. " I don't want to see you around Major Carter again, have you got that? " McKay nodded and scurried off. Daniel doubted he'd be going anywhere near Samantha again. He could be scary when he wanted to be.

He tried to door handle, and to his relief found it was unlocked. He had tried her door a few times in the last month, and it had always been locked.

He pushed the door open, and was greeted by the image of Samantha sitting on her couch, legs pulled up against her chest with her arms around them, sobbing uncontrollably. Her heart ached for her, she'd been through hell the last month. He sat down next to her, pulling her into his arms in a protective hug. He only wished he could protect her from everything – the vicious rumours, the men who thought they had a right to her. " It's OK, " he said. " He won't be bothering you anymore. "

To unhappy and heartsore to care that she was in Daniel's arms or that she was supposed to be acting prideful around him, Samantha continued to sob. " He wouldn't leave me alone, " she cried. " After what happened, he thought he had a right to me – said we had unfinished business. "

Daniel struggled to keep his temper in check for Samantha's sake. What he really wanted to do was smash McKay's face in, but he told himself she needed him. " What happened between you guys, Sam? " he asked gently.

She turned her face away. " It doesn't matter, " she said. She knew McKay had been telling everyone how she'd thrown herself at him, that had been just one more reason for people to call her a whore. She wasn't going to let Daniel judge her.

Gently he placed his fingers under her chin and forced her head around so she was looking into his eyes. " It does matter, Sam, " he said. " Did he hurt you? Did he take advantage of you? You can tell me Sam, I went through it too, remember? "

Because she was too upset and heartsore to be proud Samantha blurted out what had happened. " It was just after we came back, and they put us in isolation. Those hormones made me so _crazy_. McKay came by to see me, I don't know what about, we didn't talk much, " she admitted. She added in a choked, embarrassed voice, " I threw myself at him. "

" Did he have sex with you? " Daniel demanded. He had honestly thought McKay knew better then that, but clearly, he'd overestimated the man.

Samantha shook her head. " No, Janet came in before anything happened. She threatened him with a court martial – and to tell you. "

" No-one told me, " he said. He couldn't blame Janet, if he'd known, he probably would have castrated McKay. As it was, the only thing stopping him was that Samantha needed him. He'd deal with McKay later.

" If it wasn't for Janet, I would have slept with him, " Samantha admitted in a sad, small voice. " I'm a whore. "

Daniel forced her to look at him again. " You are _not a whore_, Sam, " he said forcefully.

" Then why have you been avoiding me? " she demanded.

Daniel stared at her incredulously. _She_ thought _he_ was avoiding him? " I haven't been avoiding you, Sam, " he insisted.

" You haven't said two words to me since we got back, " she flung accusingly at him, all her bitterness at the way she'd been treated in the last month pouring out. " You screwed that bitch Sanchez when I needed you. You said you'd support me and _you abandoned me_. "

She struggled to her out of his hold but he wouldn't let her go. He couldn't believe she thought he'd abandoned her. " I swear to God, Sam, I thought you wanted space, " he said. " I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. " He kissed her on the forehead, guilt flooding through him because of what Samantha had gone through alone. He'd promised her he'd be there for her, and he hadn't. " I'm so, so sorry. " He kissed her again, and somehow his lips ended up over hers, his tongue was gently prying her mouth open, meeting her tongue… they had been intimate before, of course, but never like this. He kissed her hungrily, passionately, tenderly until he could feel his body growing weak.

Samantha kissed him back with matching hunger, passion, tenderness. She pressed her body tight against his, whimpering softly as they kissed, until her body felt like it couldn't support her anymore. She had thought she couldn't want Daniel any more then she had on Dorsal, but here was the proof…

Daniel pulled away when Samantha's fingers fumbled with the belt on his buckle. " Not like this, " he said in a low voice.

Although she wanted him badly, she understood. They had fucked so many times that the last thing they needed was to give into their hormones in the heat of the moment again.

She wanted him to make love to her.

" How 'bout I take you home, " Daniel suggested. " We'll pick up Chinese on the way and we can… talk. "

" I'd like that, " Samantha said shyly, wiping her eyes and looking embarrassed when she realised what a wreck she must look like.

" You look beautiful, " Daniel said honestly when she complained about her appearance. She blushed under his intense gaze. Suddenly felt like an infatuated schoolgirl. This was _Daniel_, for Christ sakes, not some high-school quaterback… she was grateful when he offered his hand out to help her off the couch, because her legs felt like they'd turned to jelly.

Self-consciously, she shrugged off his supporting hand when they left her office, aware of how people would talk when they saw she and Daniel leaving together, let alone of they were holding hands…

Daniel realised why she'd turned down his hand but didn't say anything. He felt terrible for what she'd gone through. They had a lot to talk about. Maybe this baby was a blessing in disguise, forcing them to reconnect.

The baby. It was something Daniel tried not to think about it because he didn't know what Samantha wanted to do. He knew there wasn't much he could do about it, and if she wanted to have an abortion… he knew he had to respect her decision, but he didn't know how he could.

He wanted her to have the child. He wanted _them_ to have the child. But he had no say in it.

They drove home in silence, stopping only to pick up dinner, each lost in their own thoughts. The kisses they'd shared in Samantha's office were on both their minds. Samantha tried to reconcile Daniel's distance with his sudden concern and passion, and Daniel's thoughts were preoccupied with Samantha's pregnancy. The more he thought about it, the more he had to know what she planned to do about it.

" Take a seat, " Daniel said to Samantha when he unlocked the door to his apartment. He was really glad he'd thought to clean up on the weekend so it didn't look like a bomb had hit it. " I'll make some coffee. "

" I'll have juice, if you've got it, " Samantha interjected. Everyone knew caffeine was bad for unborn babies.

She didn't know why she had just thought that.

Daniel wondered why Samantha had just turned down coffee ; she was as much of a caffeine addict as he was. He tried not to hope that maybe she was thinking about what was best for the baby.

For several minutes they ate in silence, each trying to think of a way to bridge the gap between them. Finally Daniel blurted out, " I swear I never slept with Selena. What you saw was the only thing that ever happened between us. She's been pursuing me since we got back, and she kissed me and in a moment of insanity, I kissed her back. I _swear _that's all that happened. "

Samantha struggled with her emotions. It had broken her heart to see Daniel with another woman, but what he was saying could very well be true. Selena Sanchez was a maneater, a predator, and Samantha suspected the main reason she'd been so vicious in spreading rumours about her was to deflect attention from her own antics. Men tended to be blind to such women, but every woman on the base agreed she was a used, a bully and a bitch.

She decided to go with her gut. " I believe you, he said softly, " and she knew from the look of grateful relief in Daniel's eyes that she had made the right choice.

" I'm sorry about the stuff she said about you. It's kind of my fault, I told her I wasn't interested and she blamed you. "

Samantha shrugged. Truth was, Selena Sanchez was a bitch but she was the least of Samantha's concerned. " I've met plenty of women like her in the airforce, they resent any woman who ranks higher then them. She doesn't bother me…much. What hurt me the most was… you not being there. " She felt the tears well in her eyes and she hated herself for being so emotional.

" I thought you wanted space, Sam, " Daniel explained quietly.

" How could you think I wanted _space? _" Samantha asked incredulously. " The whole time we were there, I told you how I felt – I told you what people would think of me – you said you wouldn't let that happen – you said you'd stand by me – _and you didn't!_ " she added accusingly, her voice choked with tears.

" _Because I felt like I'd raped you! _" Daniel hadn't meant to yell, but he found himself matching Samantha's tone.

" What? " Samantha whispered, barely believing what she was hearing.

" When we were on Dorsal… you were hardly in a position to give consent. And I took advantage of that. I raped you… and I treated you like a whore. "

Samantha just stared at Daniel. Suddenly his coolness towards her made sense. He'd thought she hated him. And she would have… if he'd done what he thought he had. " As I recall, " she pointed out, " you weren't exactly in a position to restrain yourself. I was there, Daniel, I remember what it was like. I don't blame you for anything you did. I wanted it too, remember? You didn't rape me. And if you treated me like a whore… it's because I acted like one. "

" You didn't act like a whore, Sam. You say you were there… then you remember what it was like. It was pretty crazy… and I took advantage of that by treating you like a whore. Maybe it wasn't exactly my fault but I still did… I would never ask you to be like that for me, I wouldn't want it. I have so much respect for you, Sam, you have to know that. "

Samantha nodded slightly. " I know, " she said. She did believe him. She wiped her tears from her eyes. " I don't know what to do, " she admitted.

" About us? " Daniel prompted.

Samantha nodded. " About us… and the baby, " she admitted.

Daniel looked pained. " What do you want to do? " he asked. " I'll stand by your decision… whatever it is. "

Samantha smiled wryly. Daniel sounded like he choking when he said that. " Try a little sincerity, " she offered.

" I don't want you to have an abortion, " he blurted out.

Samantha was shocked by the vehemence in his voice. " Who said I was having an abortion? "

" I know it's an option, these are hardly the best circumstances to have a baby, " Daniel said. " I don't want you to… I want to help you raise this baby. I know I don't have a say in it… but I think I'm falling in love with you and I don't think I could handle being with you if you did… so I need to know. "

Samantha was stunned by Daniel's admission. " You're in love with me? " she asked. That wasn't exactly what he had said, but still…

Daniel nodded, although he looked miserable. " I love you, Sam, " he said. " I really do want to marry you… and I want us to have this baby. "

Near tears – she was crying far too much lately – Samantha threw herself into Daniel's arms, pressing her head against his chest and wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, afraid to let go. " You don't know how much I've wanted to hear you say that, " she admitted tearfully. _She_ didn't realise how much she'd wanted to hear Daniel say that, until now. She felt waves of relief washing over her and she sobbed uncontrollably in happiness.

It wasn't exactly the reception he'd wanted, but it was good enough. He kissed her forehead and stroked her hair, running his hands down her back. " You're so tense, " he remarked.

" It's because I've been so stressed, " she admitted.

Daniel gently disentangled himself from her and lifted her easily into his arms. " You need a long massage, " he said as he carried her to his room. " Just therapeutic, nothing funny, I promise. "

Samantha didn't know weather she ought to be relieved or disappointed.

Daniel laid her down gently on his bed and got her to lie on her stomach. He started tugging at her sweatshirt, trying to pull it over her head. She couldn't help but resist his attempts to take her clothes off. " C'mon Sam, " he said reasonably. " I can't do it with your clothes on, and it's nothing I haven't seen before. " That was true enough – he'd thought about her every night since they'd been back.

Samantha allowed him to take her top off, and all her distrust was forgotten when she felt Daniel's fingers digging into her skin. He really knew what he was doing. She whimpered with delight.

He tried to keep his mind off the obvious, but her found his fingers were becoming caressing almost in spite of himself. He was touching her far too sensually for a simple massage. He strained his eyes to hear any sound of protest from Samantha.

Nothing by her whimpers of delight which were becoming increasingly guttural and distracting the hell out of him.

He had started with every intentions of keeping his hands on her back, but the temptation to expose more of her flesh proved too much for him. He worked his hands downwards and slowly pulled down her tracksuit pants. She made no effort to stop him – she assisted him by lifting her hips to make their removal easier.

She couldn't remember anything so exquisite as Daniel working her flesh the way he was. She'd had massages before, of course, but never like this. " This is so good… " she murmured as he began working on her legs.

" Anytime you want it, sweetheart, just ask, " Daniel promised.

What she really wanted was for Daniel to remove her panties, but she wasn't bold enough to ask for that. Being with him like this made her aware of the chemistry they'd always shared, even when they'd first met when he was still married to Sha're. It was a chemistry that had been emphasised from their month together, but it had always been there.

She couldn't believe she hadn't seen it before.

" Daniel… " she groaned when he dug his fingers into her upper thighs. Just another inch…

There was no way he could mistake that tone for anything but what it was. He leaned over her, virtually lying on top of her but resting most of his weight on his elbows. He nuzzled the side of her neck. " Anytime you want me to stop, " he whispered gutturally, " tell me and I will. " She didn't that was very likely to happen – telling him to stop, that was.

Trailing kisses down her back, Daniel paused to pull down her panties so she was completely naked. She was aware of his own overdressed state compared to her, but that was probably a good thing. He had every intention of staying in control.

He slipped a finger inside her, and was surprised by how wet she was already. She groaned when he started touching her. " Daniel… " she cried his name out as he began working her with deliberate slowness. He was going to make her wait for the climax she was seeking.

When she was good and worked up He flipped her over so she was facing him. " Don't stop, " she begged.

" I had no intention of stopping, sweetheart, " he said. " I just wanted easier access. "

She gasped when he started giving her head. It was something he'd never done before, although she'd done it to him several times – like a lot of men, he didn't like it being 'dirty', even though it was him who had messed her up in the first place. It was just one more thing he'd felt guilty over and he was determined to make it up to her.

He worked her for over an hour, playing her expertly. If she'd been anywhere close to rational thought she would have wondered exactly where he learnt such talents – and she would have thanked the woman. He bought her closer and closer to orgasm and then brought her back off the brink until she was begging for it.

She came hard, screaming his name and thrashing on the bed until she was absolutely exhausted. She had never been so tired out after one of their marathon sessions on Dorsal, and the scientist in her knew it was because she no longer had hormones in her system to act as an adrenaline rush, but she also thought it was because she had never climaxed so long and so hard before.

Sliding off the bed, Daniel kneeled beside her and watched her face in its post-climax glow. She was so insanely beautiful.

She opened her eyes to meet his and smiled. " Thankyou, " she said, although it seemed like such an inappropriate means of gratitude for what he'd just given her. She reached up to kiss him.

Daniel rocked on his feet. " I'm going to have a cold shower, " he said sheepishly. You had to be a eunuch to do what he'd just done and not be affected by it.

Samantha reached her hand out before Daniel could stop her, snaking down to his crotch to see how badly she'd affected him. " Let me return the favour, " she said.

Daniel pushed her hand away. " No, " he said firmly, and if it killed him, he wouldn't let her do it. When she looked at him with hurt in her eyes, he said, " I made you do that too many times, Sam. I owe you. "

" You didn't _make_ me do anything, " Samantha said. Her mind raced back to their last day on Dorsal – what had he said, that it was degrading? Dear, sweet, Daniel was determined to make it up to her. Well, she was just as determined to return the favour. " You must be aching. "

" I don't care. I don't want you to do it. I – " Daniel swallowed, his mind racing back to their period on Dorsal together. True, he had never asked her to do it, but he had enjoyed every minute of it. He'd enjoyed the power of having her on her knees in front of him, servicing him. " It's degrading for you. "

Samantha saw he was in genuine distress, and she couldn't help but wonder what had been going through his head when she'd gone down on him in the past. God knew it could be quite a power trip. She let it be for the moment, but she wasn't going to let him off that easily. " Fine, " she said. " Make love to me then. " She leaned over to kiss him again.

" Not until Janet says it's OK, " he insisted.

Samantha glared at him. " For Christ sake's, Daniel, I'm throwing myself at you, and you're making excuses! "

" I'm not making excuses, " Daniel responded. " I'm just worried about the baby – and you. I won't put either of you in jeopardy. "

Samantha tried to be angry at Daniel for being so overprotective, but instead she could only love him more for it. She reached for the phone. " What are you doing? " he demanded suspiciously.

" Calling Janet. It's only ten, she'll be up. " And if she was woken up, Samantha would make it clear it was Daniel's fault. Most likely, though, the Doctor would be glad to see them on speaking terms again. _Not that I spoke much in the last hour_, she thought ruefully.

" There's no need to do that, I can wait a few days, " Daniel insisted.

" And has it occurred to you that _I_ can't? " Samantha countered. " How many times have we fucked, Daniel? Too many times to count. Does it occur to you that I want you to make love to me? I want to feel like you respect me when you're having sex with me. I want – " she broke off when she felt tears threatening again.

Daniel hadn't realised it meant so much to her. " OK, " he backed down. " Call Janet. But if you wake her up, make sure she knows it's your fault. "

" Sam, what's up? " Janet asked when she heard her friend's voice down the line. " I wanted to talk to you this afternoon, but when I went to your office, you'd already gone. "

Samantha found herself blushing, and she was grateful Janet couldn't see her. Daniel could, though, and he smirked at her discomfort. " Uh, yeah, I'm with Daniel, " she admitted.

Janet's eyes shot up. " Daniel, who you said didn't respect you and wanted nothing to do with you? " she questioned.

" Yeah, Daniel. And, um, he wants to know… if it's OK… um… "

" If it's OK to have sex with you? " Janet offered. It was kind of an awkward thing to bring up between friends, but Janet couldn't help but smirking. She had always hoped Daniel and Samantha would work things out, she just hadn't expected them to work things out so quickly. She mentally flipped through her appointments for the next day, clearing out anything not vital so she could have a long D&M with her.

She directed her attention back at Samantha, waiting for an answer. " There's no reason you can't have sex, Sam, but I don't recommend you try beating any of your records – and just between you and I, don't put any pressure on Daniel, I have a feeling he's going to have trouble climaxing. He's semen levels are way down, but don't tell him I told you that. I think he's embarrassed by it. Actually, can you put him on the phone? "

Samantha handed the phone to Daniel. " She wants to speak to you, " she said.

Daniel cradled the handpiece. " It was Sam's idea, " was the first thing he said.

Janet laughed. That sounded like Samantha. " Take it easy, OK, don't push yourself, " she ordered him. " I'm more concerned about you then I am her. "

" I'm fine, " Daniel grumbled. He looked at Samantha suspiciously, trying to ascertain if she knew. It didn't exactly help his masculinity to know he'd completely exhausted his reserves, he didn't care that it wasn't natural for a man to climax a dozen times a day for a month. " Is there anything else? "

" No, " Janet said. " I want to talk to you tomorrow though. Can you come by around ten? "

It wasn't like Daniel had anything better to do since he didn't go offworld anymore. " Fine, " he said. " See you then. " He hung the phone up.

" See? " Samantha asked, smiling triumphantly. " Now make love to me. "

Daniel smirked. " The lady's demanding, " he said dryly. Samantha glared at him.

" Kiss me, " she instructed, and Daniel obeyed.

" I love kissing you, " she said when they broke apart. They kissed again, and her hands wandered his body, relieving him of his clothes. She moved over on Daniel's bed so he could lie next to her, and they began making out until Daniel was good and worked up. _How do you like a taste of your own medicine? _she asked him with her eyes.

He manoeuvred her so she was straddled him. " Tell me if it's uncomfortable, but I want you on top of me, " he said quietly. It was a token offer of control, but it made him feel a lot better.

She nearly climaxed again when Daniel entered her. This was so much better then being on the hormones. Arching her back, she began riding him.

He remembered how she liked to be touched, and he brought her to orgasm three times in the forty minutes it took him to come. Afterwards, they lay in bed, a tangled mess of sweaty limbs, exhausted.

He admitted to having a problem climaxing. " Janet said it has something to do with how active I was on Dorsal, " he admitted. He had known he would have problems but he hadn't expected to be driven to the brink of exhaustion – not to mention frustration – over it. He was glad he was spooning Samantha so he didn't have to face her. " She says I'll be OK eventually, I just need time to, um… restock. A fair bit of time. "

Samantha knew better then to turn and face Daniel. She made a mental note to talk to Janet to get the details. It was clear it embarrassed Daniel to talk about it. " You think I'm complaining? Most guys can't last the distance. "

Daniel kissed the back of her neck and held her tightly. He knew she was making light of the situation for his sake (and he knew tomorrow she'd get the details out of Janet, he didn't care, better then have to talk about it himself) and he loved her for it. " I love you, " he murmured.

Samantha snuggled deep into Daniel's hold. " I love you too, " she said.

They lay in silence for a few minutes before Samantha spoke up, " I'm not ready to go public just yet. I wanna be with you for a little while, build a foundation before we tell everyone. " She could just envision the new flurry of gossip that would break out when it became known that she and Daniel were back together – and the inevitable claims he was only with her because he was 'doing the right thing' over her pregnancy (something else people would never understand – they'd say she trapped him by deliberately not taking birth control) and she wanted some time to build their relationship before that happened. " It's nothing person, just – "

" No, I understand, " Daniel said. He was a little disappointed but he understood her reasons. " I'll take you home in the morning if you want. Just so long as I can have you to myself after hours. "

Samantha turned to face him, smiling. " Deal, " she said. She kissed Daniel before settling into his arms for the night. When she was with him, she could almost believe the worst was over.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five 

True to his word, Daniel dropped Samantha home so she could shower, change and catch a taxi to the base. It seemed like a bit much as far as Daniel was concerned, but Samantha was determined to keep their relationship under wraps for a little while.

He gave her a passionate goodbye kiss. " I'll see you on the base, " he said softly. " And tonight. " The tone of his voice suggested she would find his company much more pleasurable that night then she would on the base.

In fact, now that it was a reality, they both wondered how they would manage to get through a whole day pretending to be 'just friends'.

Daniel presented himself to Janet's office at ten o'clock the next day, as agreed. Janet couldn't help but noticed he looked tired. And she couldn't resist commenting on it.

He glared at her. " I wouldn't mind having some of those hormones, " he admitted. " How are you going on duplicating it? " He was only half joking, he was worn out and wouldn't mind not caring like he had – or hadn't – on Dorsal.

" It's going well, but I'm not giving you anything, " Janet admonished him. " You've put your body through a lot. If it's wearing you out, you shouldn't ignore it."

Daniel looked contrite. " I wanna be able to meet Sam's expectations, " he admitted.

Janet clucked her tongue sympathetically. " You think she's going to leave you because you can't be as active as you'd like? " she asked. " Get a reality check, Daniel. She's pregnant, and more to the point, she loves you. She's not going anywhere. Honestly, somehow I wonder how the two of you got together in the first place. "

" McKay assaulted her and I happened to be there, she was pretty cut up about it, " Daniel admitted. Which reminded him, he had to have a 'talk' with McKay. " It kinda went from there. "

" Remind me to thank him for it, " Janet muttered, only half-joking. She detested the arrogant scientist for his attitude towards woman – Samantha in particular – but if his actions, however repulsive, had gotten Samantha and Daniel together then she couldn't completely hate him.

She focused her attention back on Daniel. " Promise me you won't do anything stupid trying to prove your masculinity, " she begged. " Sam won't appreciate it and you won't curry any favours with me, either. "

" I promise, " Daniel said quickly, his mind elsewhere. " Was there anything else? "

" No, that's it for now, you can go, " Janet said. She _really_ hoped Daniel would heed her advice. Maybe she should talk to Samantha about it, women were far more likely to pay attention to something like this then men were.

Daniel quickly found McKay, who was working on something – Daniel didn't care what. What he found fascinating when Samantha was explaining it he found unbearably boring when it was coming from McKay.

McKay looked up just in time to be slammed into the wall with Daniel's hand closed tightly around his throat. He gurgled uselessly and for a few seconds truly thought Doctor Jackson would kill him. He had that same look in his eyes he'd had yesterday, only more murderous.

" Sam told me what you did, you sick bastard, and if you go _anywhere near_ her again, I'll kill you, " Daniel threatened. " Do you understand that? "

McKay nodded, and he would. He was officially scared out of his wits of Doctor Jackson.

Daniel let McKay go and he dropped to the floor, gasping for air. He was really quite a coward when you got down to it. Daniel left McKay's office, not feeling the least amount of guilt over what he had done.

" What are you looking so perky about? " Captain Sanchez asked when she saw Samantha, sitting by herself in the mess hall, looking like the cat who got the cream. Sanchez was distrustful of women in general, and she was distrustful especially of any woman who outranked her. Particularly a woman who had gotten 'her' man. Of course, Daniel couldn't be held responsible for his actions, but to Selena's mind, Samantha could.

She thought she had done a pretty good job with her smear campaign against Samantha. Turned out there were a lot of people who resented having such a high-ranking woman, especially one held in such high regard as Samantha. So it annoyed her to have Samantha looking so… perky.

Samantha had wanted to keep her relationship with Daniel a secret, but seeing the malicious look on Captain Sanchez's face and she was unable to resist a little dig. " Oh, you know how it is, " she said vaguely, as if she were confirming some shared secret between them.

Now Sanchez's interested was well and truly piqued. " How what is? " she demanded to know.

" You know how it is… when Daniel makes love to you all night, " Samantha couldn't resist saying. She allowed herself a perky smile for herself, then a pitying one for Captain Sanchez. " Oh, that's right – you don't. Sorry, my bad. Didn't mean to brag. " And she flashed a brilliant smile so Sanchez would know that was _exactly_ what she had meant to do.

Captain Sanchez glared hatefully at her. Samantha Carter was a prize cow. " You're lying, " she hissed. No way would Daniel turn _her _down in favour of Carter. If he did, he'd live to regret it.

Samantha flashed another brilliant smile. " Go and ask him if you want, " she offered.

Captain Sanchez sent another glare in Samantha's direction and stormed off. " Bye, " Samantha called after her, grinning to herself. She knew she was just stirring up trouble, but she figured she couldn't make any more of an enemy out of the woman.

Sanchez stormed out of the mess hall, furious, and headed for Daniel's office. He was sitting at his desk with a dreamy look on his face.

" Captain Sanchez, " he said, surprised. It was a stab through the heart to hear him call her by her rank – what had happened to Selena?

" Is it true? " she asked. " Did you really spent last night with that – _whore_? "

Daniel figured the only person she could have heard that from to make her this angry was Samantha herself, so there was no point in denying it for her sake. " Not that it's any of your business, and I would suggest you hold your tongue when it comes to someone who outranks you, but yes, I did. "

Captain Sanchez's eyes flashed hatefully. " How _could _you? " she shrieked like a woman possessed. Instinct told Daniel to hit the security button under his desk.

" There was nothing between us, Captain Sanchez, except maybe in your imagination, " Daniel said calmly.

" Selena, " she corrected.

" _Captain Sanchez, _" Daniel repeated through gritted teeth, making it clear their relationship was purely on a professional level – and as nonexistent as possible. " I want you to leave. "

" Why her? " she demanded. " Why not me? "

" Because you're a predator and a bitch, " Daniel retorted. Clearly, she was troubled. He regretted giving her any encouragement at all, like being polite in his disinterest was encouragement.

" You'll be sorry, " she threatened venomously when she spotted security coming down the hall and decided it was a good time to make her exit. " You and that whore you're so fond of. "

Daniel wasn't particularly afraid of her threats but she troubled him nonetheless. He'd given her no encouragement, and she seemed convinced there had been something between them. Mostly, he was concerned she'd make more trouble for Samantha ; it her own demented way, she was too fond of him to cause try and hurt him. At least not intentionally – if she hurt Samantha…

She dropped by his office later at his request. " You wanted to see me. Doctor Jackson? " she asked, trying to sound professional even while she was preoccupied with thoughts of straddling Daniel and ripping his shirt off.

_Careful_, she told herself. _Janet said to take it easy with him, remember? _

" Shut the door, " he said. When he saw she was apprehensive about someone seeing them in his office, alone together, he added, " oh, just do it Sam, you don't want anyone to overhear this. "

Samantha shut the door. " What did you say to Captain Sanchez? " he asked.

Samantha looked guilty. " She saw me in the mess hall, wanted to know why I was so perky – so I told her. " She grinned wickedly in memory of the look on the woman's face. " Why, did she say something to you? "

" She went mental, like Glenn Close mental, " Daniel said. " She seems convinced there was something between us. "

" I never liked that movie, " Samantha mused. " The guy cheats on his wife, ditches his pregnant lover – I figured she had a right to go a little mental. "

" It's not funny, Sam, " Daniel complained. " She could make more trouble for you. "

Samantha shrugged. " Honestly, babe, there's not much more that she can do. And it was a kick, the look on her face. How did she act when you told her it was true? "

" Like a woman scored – a completely mental woman scorned, " Daniel said. " I wish you wouldn't take this so lightly. "

Samantha approached him. If people were going to talk about her and Daniel being alone together, she may as well get her gossip's worth. " There's not much she can do, other then spread more gossip, and I'm used to that, " she said. She sat on his lap and kissed him. He slipped his arms around her waist, resting one hand on her slightly swollen stomach. " I really don't care anymore, Daniel. I have you, nothing else matters. "

His mouth crinkled into a smile. " You mean that? " he asked.

Samantha nodded sagely. " I do. Hey, speaking of which, did you ever get me a ring or did you decided your word was good enough? "

Daniel looked confused. " What word – oh, asking you to marry me – which, I recall, you turned me down quite harshly. "

Samantha looked sheepish. " Yeah, sorry about that, it was just quite predictable – I told Janet two weeks before that's what you do. I thought you were just offering because it was the right thing to do. "

" I asked you because I love you, Sam, " Daniel said quietly, and she was reminded of how badly she'd hurt him in turning him down the way she had.

" Yeah, I know that now, " she said. " So… are you going to ask me again? "

" And risk you breaking my heart again? " Daniel asked, teasing. " No way. If you want me to marry you, you'll have to ask. "

" No way. "

" Why not? "

" It's not traditional, " Samantha said between playful kisses over his face.

Daniel started to laugh at this. " Since when were you traditional? " he asked.

Samantha pouted. " I can be traditional, " she said. " I can! " she insisted when Daniel looked at her disbelievingly. Women tended not to become airforce Majors in top-secret projects by being traditional, and Samantha was no exception. " OK, fine, if you're going to be like that… Daniel Jackson, will you marry me? "

" OK. "

Samantha raised her eyebrows, pretending to be hurt. " OK? That's the best you can do? " she asked.

" It's better then 'you're only doing this because you knocked me up', " Daniel pointed out. " I love you, Sam, and I want to marry you. What more do you want? "

Samantha smiled adoringly. " Absolutely nothing, " she said, and kissed him passionately.

From outside Daniel's office, Captain Sanchez listened intently. She had been keeping an eye on Major Carter all day, figuring eventually she'd go to see her lover. _Her lover! _How could Daniel sleep with such a tramp when he could have had her? And when Samantha had made her move, Sanchez had followed her at a distance.

She'd overheard their entire conversation, and now things had gone suspiciously quiet as they made out. She couldn't believe it! Daniel was going to _marry_ the tramp!

_Only because she's pregnant_. It was the oldest trick in the book – pretend to be on birth control, get pregnant and force the guy to 'do the right thing'.

She wished she'd thought of it before Carter had.

Daniel couldn't marry her – he _couldn't_. He was only doing it because it was the right thing to do – and the kid might not even be his, knowing the tramp Sanchez was sure she was.

He was only marrying her because she was pregnant.

And idea started to grow in Daniel's mind.

" Are you sure you want to do this, both of you? " Hammond asked Daniel and Samantha the next day when they approached him about getting married. Technically, he couldn't stop them, especially not in light of Samantha being pregnant, but he deserved to at least know in advance.

" We're sure, " Daniel said for both of them, snaking a protective arm around Samantha's shoulders.

" You know that people will talk, " Hammond pointed out. " They'll get stuck into you, Major Carter, they'll say Doctor Jackson only did it because you're pregnant. Which isn't exactly a total lie, either. "

" I know that, sir, and I don't care, " Samantha said defiantly. " Daniel and I love each other, and that's all that matters. Besides, " she added ruefully, " it's not like they can say much more about me. "

Hammond had to concede her point. He'd only heard some of the rumours that had been circulating around the base – people tended to gossip down, not up – but he figured if he multiplied what he heard by a hundred in volume and viciousness, that would be about right. " If you're doing it for the right reasons… " he began.

" We are, " Daniel and Samantha chorused together.

"… Then I give you my blessing, " Hammond finished. They smiled lovingly at each other and Hammond knew he'd made the right choice. " You realise, Major Carter, that I can't give you permission to go offworld during your pregnancy? "

Samantha nodded. " I'm requesting permission to stay on Earth until the baby's born, too, " Daniel spoke up.

" Of course, son. Given the circumstances, I think that's quite understandable. " He didn't say so, of course, but he was delighted things had worked out so well between them. He'd noticed several years ago that Daniel and Samantha had quite a connection, strengthened after Sha're's death, that seemed to have been obliterated by the disaster that had been the Dorsa experiments. At least they'd gotten some impressive technology out of it. Jack was proving to be quite the accomplished blackmailer.

They were all over each other in the mess hall, Sanchez saw with disgust. Rather, Samantha was all over Daniel. To her way of seeing things, he looked rather pained at having to be with her. Like it was something he was doing out of duty and she was taking full advantage.

Now that she knew Samantha was pregnant, it all made sense. No way would Daniel be with her if she wasn't pregnant. He was just doing the right thing, because he was that kind of guy.

She had trapped him.

Anger surged through Sanchez's blood, anger at being outsmarted, anger as losing Daniel. She _never_ lost.

And she wasn't about to lose now.

"… I'll see you tonight? " Daniel asked Samantha, although it was a confirmation, not a question. They had spent the last three nights together, since the first time they'd made love.

Samantha nodded, smiling at him. He was so goddamn hunky. And it gave her a little kick to know Sanchez was standing three meters away, glowering at them. Well, let her glower. There wasn't much else she could do. " I've got some stuff to go over before I leave, I'll be by around seven? "

" Seven it is, " Daniel said, before kissing Samantha passionately. Neither of them cared that they had an audience which broke into the predictable applause and 'oooooh' sounds. It was really hard for the majority of people to believe the gossip that had Samantha painted as a whore when it was clear Daniel was madly in love with her. " I love you, " he whispered in her ear.

" I love you too, " she whispered back, and with a dreamy smile on her face she watched Daniel walk away. She couldn't wait for seven o'clock.

Sanchez watched the older woman from three meters away, her fury mounting until it felt like she would burst. Samantha Carter had trapped and stolen Daniel from her ; Sanchez was convinced that they were meant to be together, and if she just had a little more time, he would realise that.

But that slut had interfered.

Well, no-one beat Selena Sanchez and got away with it.

With a shriek of mad jealous, Sanchez barrelled towards Samantha, who looked up just in time to see the younger woman lunge at her. For a few moments they struggled before Sanchez revealed the steak knife she'd hidden up her sleave and plunged it forcefully into Samantha's abdomen.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six 

Samantha woke up with a start, emerging from a horrible nightmare. She was in so much pain, vicious pain tearing through her abdomen, through the rest of her body to the furthermost corners of her heart, and her baby… she screamed.

Sitting next to her, keeping a vigil, Daniel grabbed her hand. " It's OK, " he said. " You're still with us. " Janet had been mainly worried about the loss of blood, but it had been stemmed and she swore Samantha would be OK. Physically, at least. The finest surgeon they'd been able to get hold of had managed to patch Samantha up so there would be no reason in the future that she couldn't conceive again, although he knew that would come as cold comfort to her. It had come as cold comfort to him. He didn't care about any future children, he just wanted the one Captain Sanchez, in her crazed maliciousness, had stolen from them.

Instinctively. Samantha's hand flew to her abdomen, and cried out in pain when a simple touch made her feel like pain was stabbing through her body. Not that _not_ touching made it much less painful. " My baby, " she whispered.

Daniel's eyes filled with tears, despite his promise to be strong for Samantha. " I'm sorry, baby, " he whispered. Although Sanchez hadn't had much time to inflict damage – three stabs in an area that would otherwise have been not much cause for concern, given she wasn't aiming for any organs – it had been enough to execute her crazy revenge.

Guilt wracked him. He felt responsible for Sanchez's actions, although Janet and everyone else kept telling him he wasn't to blame. He tortured himself wondering if there had been anytime he could have made it more obvious he wasn't interested.

She had somehow found out Samantha was pregnant, and convinced herself they were only together because of it. To her demented logic, if she got rid of the baby, she got rid of Samantha, and Daniel would be all hers.

Like he would touch that physco bitch with a ten-foot pole.

If he'd made his disinterest clearer… if he hadn't been so obviously affection with Samantha… his brain came up with a dozen things that he could have done differently, and maybe Samantha would still be pregnant.

Samantha started to cry. So it hadn't been a nightmare. The stabbing pain… Sanchez had attacked her with a steak knife, plunging it in deep, knowing she'd only have a few chances…

Samantha had screamed in agony as blood had poured from the wounds – her blood, and her baby's. Two months old. It hadn't stood a chance.

Daniel stroked her face. " Don't sit up, " he directed when she struggled to get herself into an upright position. " You'll only hurt yourself more. "

Hurt herself more! As if she could hurt more then she already was!

" Why? " she asked hoarsely. Why would anyone do such a horrible thing? How could anyone be so cruel, so indifferent to the suffering of another human being? And Samantha had thought there was nothing worse Sanchez could do to her. How wrong she had been.

" She's crazy, " Daniel said in a ragged voice. " She thought I'd leave you… if there was no baby. "

_If there was no baby_… Samantha started to cry harder. There was no baby anymore. The baby she had wanted so much, without even realising it… " Where is she? " she asked.

" She's being held for court-martial, " Daniel explained. " She won't be bothering you anymore. " As if _that_ was a consolation. " I'm sorry, " he said.

" It wasn't your fault. " Even in her pain and grief, Samantha knew that. She wanted someone to blame, it made it easier, but she knew Daniel wasn't the person for it. She needed him now more then ever.

" Maybe not. But there must have been something I could have done – "

" Like tell her you weren't interested? Like make it obvious we were together? " Samantha asked. " Don't blame yourself, Daniel. I need you right now. "

He kissed her gently on the forehead. While he'd sat by her side for two days as she lay unconscious, his most troubling thought was that Samantha would be unable to forgive him. If she needed him, that was good enough for him. " I'm here, baby. I love you. "

She smiled weakly through her tears and pain – physical and emotional. " I love you too. " She tried to kiss him back when he planet his lips softly on hers, and winced in pain.

He withdrew quickly. " Are you in pain? Do you want me to get Janet? "

She shook her head .Truth was, the pain was excruciating but she didn't want the dull effects a painkillers would bring to her. She knew if she lost clarity she'd lose her connection with Daniel, and more then anything she needed him with her right now. " Just stay with me, " she pleaded. She flexed her fingers pathetically, searching for his.

Carefully, he threaded his fingers through hers, searching her face for any pain the movement might cause. She gripped them tightly and Daniel responded to her need for a connection by applying more pressure to her hand. For a long while, they sat in silence, not needing words to communicate. Words would come later, but for the moment it was enough for them to just be.

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Janet watched the two unobtrusively. She had thought to go in and give Samantha something for the pain that had to wracking through her body, but in the end decided against it. She trusted Daniel would intervene when it was time, maybe time together was more important then the dull relief a sedative would bring.

Her heart broke for the two of them. Daniel had refused to leave her side for the two day's she'd been unconscious, apart from when it had taken two Marines to pull him of Captain Sanchez. Janet was convinced he would have killed her, given the chance.

For two days he had blamed himself, and nothing anyone told him would convince him otherwise. The truth was, she had slipped under _all_ their radars. It was kind of scary to know that even the background checks as thorough as those the military had access to could fail to pick up someone as disturbed as Sanchez had to be to attack Samantha the way she had. Logically, she supposed it was hard to be suspicious of someone with no priors, not so much as a parking fine, who could do a damn good impersonation of mentally stable, but still… when something like this happened, everyone blamed themselves. But no-one more then Daniel.

Janet sighed. She really hoped they got passed this. It wasn't fair after all they'd been through to be together for this to happen. She knew it was cold comfort to both of them that the attack had caused no permanent damage to her reproductive organs, but maybe, in the future –

" What's up, Doc? " Jack asked, coming up behind her. He saw she was looking at Samantha and Daniel from the shadows. " How are they doing? "

Janet shrugged. " It's hard to say. Physically, she'll be OK but emotionally – that'll take a while. For both of them. But I think – I think they'll be OK. "

Jack couldn't help but wish he and Sara had bonded over Charlie's death the way Daniel and Samantha were doing right now. Maybe they'd still be together. But failing that, he wished the best for Daniel and Samantha, God knew they deserved it. He'd been jacked off at first, that they'd had to be split up, but he saw now how deeply their love ran for each other.

" What'll happen with Sanchez? " Janet asked Jack.

" She's being held for a trial, " Jack said. " At the most, she'll be dishonourably discharged, but if I have my way, she'll be spending a lot of time in jail. "

" I can't believe we didn't pick it up, with all the background tests… " she trailled off helplessly. Everyone who was close to Daniel and Samantha was feeling the same way. Maybe if they'd paid more attention to the general resentment all the women she'd worked with had for the malicious soon-to-be-ex-Captain… it was so easy to contemplate what could have been done in hindsight.

" She won't have anything more to do with them, " Jack said. " At least that's something. "

Janet raised her eyebrows pointedly. " Not much, I think, " she said sadly, looking down at the grieving couple, hoping they'd find a way through this tragedy – together.

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After three days and nights of staying with Samantha, she instead that Daniel go home and get a decent night's sleep in a proper bed. The bunks in the dorms on the base were utilitarian at best, and the beds in the infirmary weren't any better. He wanted to stay, but she wouldn't have a bar of it.

" I'll be fine for a night, " she reassured him. Now that the most intense pain was fading away and she was getting a grip on the worst of her grief, she was noticing Daniel was looking significantly worse for wear. She didn't think he'd showered, let alone shaved since the attack, and he couldn't be getting a good night's sleep, given he spent most of the time keeping an eye on her. " I want you back in the morning, looking like a human being, " she kidded. " And maybe bring some ham and cheese croissants from the bakery near you – you know the ones I like. Hospital food sucks, even in a multi-billion-dollar projects. " She made a face to illustrate her distaste for hospital food.

Daniel laughed in spite of the tragedy that surrounded them. Samantha had to be feeling a little better if she wanted real food. And he _could_ do with a proper night's sleep in a real bed. He was exhausted. The ground on some of the planets they'd gone to were more comfortable to sleep on then the beds on the base.

" Are you sure you'll be OK without me? " he asked. " I'll stay if you want, I don't mind… I want to be there for you, " he admitted shyly.

Samantha raised her chin slightly, a gesture that meant she wanted him to kiss her. " You've been there for me the last three days, and I love you for it, " she said. " What I want is for you to look after yourself. I promise I'll be fine for the night. "

He kissed her forehead. " I love you, " he said. " You need me at all, just call me, I don't care what time it is, I'll come over. "

Samantha smiled. Daniel was so sweet. She was lucky to have someone who loved her so much. " Go home. Get some sleep, " she ordered.

Daniel had to admit, a long, steaming hot shower in a proper bathroom with real tiles – no utilitarian concrete with that concrete smell that permeated everywhere – was heaven. He'd always felt self-conscious showering in front of other people, and had never been able to allow himself the luxury of taking long showers at the base. He liked the sensation of steaming up his bathroom – his bathroom with its clean white tiles and fluffy towels. For five days – two of Samantha being unconscious and three awake – he hadn't slept of showered and barely eaten, he'd been too preoccupied with the woman in front of him to notice. Now that he had taken the time to look after himself, he noticed.

While he wasn't exactly a stranger to accumulating dirt – a hazard of travelling to other planets as a job – he had never liked being dirty, and now he took great pleasure in scrubbing off almost a week's accumulated grime. He scrubbed under his nails, went through almost an entire bar of soap cleaning off the dirty, washed his hair, shaved.

By the time he was finished, he _did_ felt human again. Of course Samantha would know what was best for him. That, and she was probably thoroughly turned off by how bad he had looked, he thought wryly. Well, it would be a pleasant surprise for her tomorrow. That, and the ham and cheese croissants he'd promised her.

He realised just how tired he was ; watching over Samantha had worn him out. He raided his fridge for something to eat just so an empty stomach wouldn't wake him up in the middle of the night, crawled into his comfortable double bed with warm, thick blankets that didn't feel thin or scratchy in a room that had the airconditioning set the way he liked it, and fell into a deep sleep.

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It was easy enough for Sanchez to talk her way out of the room she was being held in – she could be _very_ persuasive when she wanted to be. And it was easy enough for her to find her way to the Cheyenne mountain base, where her arrest and detainment had been kept such a secret that the guards, who were familiar with her didn't know she had been banned from the mountain. So much for top security. She hadn't gotten to be a Captain in the airforce by giving up just because someone told her to.

She made up an excuse about picking up a report she need urgently as a reason for her dropping by the base so late. It wasn't like they cared anyway ; they didn't realise she was considered a threat.

She had chosen late at night because she knew there would be minimal security, at least by the standards of the base. And what was still on she could get around easily. She was trained in covert operations, it was why she'd gotten her position in the Stargate Command in the first place.

_Fools_, she thought derisively as she easily made her way through the base, stopping occasionally to hide but mostly carrying on her merry way like she had a right to be there. _They think they can get the better of me. They have no idea, the lot of them! _Especially that bitch Samantha Carter. Sanchez just _knew_ she was gloating over her impending trial. Well, Sanchez still had a few tricks up her sleeve.

For a moment, she fantasised about finishing off Carter while she was here. But, no, that would be ending her misery, and Sanchez wanted her to be miserable. She was sure what she'd been told about Daniel and Samantha still being together was a lie. She shrugged at the thought. It didn't matter if it was true or not. If they were still together, it was because he felt sorry for her, and after tonight, he would have forgotten all about her…

Which was why she was risking being recognised here. She figured she would give Daniel a little encouragement. She had been keeping tabs on Janet's research into the hormone stimulants and fertility treatment she'd managed to extract from Daniel and Samantha's bloodwork after their return from Dorsal, so she knew Janet had a batch of both substances that was theoretically ready to be tested on animals.

Well, tonight it would be tested on an animal – in the sense that it breathed, ate, mated – if not exactly one that Janet had in mind. Well, science was full of plans gone awry.

Breaking into the labs proved to be no more difficult to get past the guards or get this deep into the base. Sanchez wasn't exactly sure the amount she needed so she grabbed most of what was there ; she figured she only had to leave enough for Janet to recreate a new batch. _I'll tell you how effective it was, Doctor_, _I'll be your first guinea pig_, she thought to herself, gleeful that so far, everything was going to plan.

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Daniel woke up in the middle of the night with his cock on fire and his hands cuffed above his head to the bedhead. The first was what had woken him up ; the second he worked out when he tried to sit up.

His brain fought sleep deprivation and haziness brought on by the massive amount of hormones he'd been giving to work out what was going on. " Hello, Daniel, " Sanchez cooed beside him, and automatically he turned his head in the direction of her voice.

She was completely naked, and even in the dim light of the bedside lamp she'd turned on, he could see the cold, crazy look in her eyes. " Captain Sanchez! What the hell are you doing? "

She reached out to stroke him, and to his horror he found himself responding. " I would have thought it was quite obvious, sweetheart, " she cooed. She caressed the word 'sweetheart' as if they really were lovers ; it scared Daniel thoroughly. " I'm here to seduce you. "

Daniel stared at her for a split second before he realised she was completely crazy. Not just slightly delusional but totally nuts. He strained at his handcuffs, which did nothing but dig into his skin. " You can't do this, " he hissed. Oh, God, how much had she given him? The crazy horniness he'd felt on Dorsa was back in full force and he was hardly in a position to do anything about it.

Sanchez began to stroke him hard, and he groaned involuntarily at the sensation. He…wanted…to…fuck…and…she…knew…it. " I don't see you stopping me, " she cooed.

" That's because you handcuffed me and shot me full of that stuff, you crazy fucking bitch! " he yelled, straining hard against the metal binding his wrists. He winced when the cuffs dug into his skin again and he knew he wasn't achieving anything but hurting himself but to not to anything – that was unfathomable.

" You know you want it, " she said silkily ; she considered these tactics a means of forcing him to admit to his feelings. She lowered her head to take him in slightly. He groaned louder although his brain screamed against the violation.

" Please, " he begged. " I want you to leave. "

" Make me, " she teased, and she straddled him, taking him inside her.

Daniel shuddered violently as she took him inside her. She must have given him an incredible dose because he'd never reacted this hard… " Forgive me, Sam, " he whispered.

Sanchez responded to his words by cupping his chin roughly, digging her nails into his skin, forcing him to look at her. " Selena! " she yelled angrily, riding him hard.

He spat in her face. " Fuck you! " he yelled back. Never with Samantha had his penis and his brain responded so differently, and he fought against his restraints in earnest until the skin around his wrists was raw and bleeding. He…would…not…give…in…easily… He bit down hard on his lip when he climaxed, refusing to give her the satisfaction of knowing how good a release it was. He tasted blood in his mouth, and wrenched hard against the cuffs. He howled in agony when he felt the bone in his left wrist snap. He slumped down on the bed, choking back whimpers as pain coursed through his lower arm.

Triumphantly, Sanchez climbed off him. " You've got what you wanted, now go away, " Daniel snarled.

Sanchez reached out to stroke his cheek gently, loverly-like. " I'm not finished, " she declared.

He changed tack. " Please, " he begged. " I'm in pain. I think my wrist is broken. "

" You shouldn't have struggled, " she told him, unsympathetic.

When it was clear she had no heart to appeal to, he reverted back to fury. " You… are… crazy! " he yelled. " Why are you doing this? "

" Because we're meant to be together, " she declared. " I'm just making you see that. We just needed to make love. "

She was mental, she was certifiably insane. " You think what you just did to me was _making love_? " he asked her. " What I do with Sam, _that's_ making love, " he couldn't resist needling her. " What you just did to me, that's _rape_. "

She caressed his cheek lovingly. Then she slapped him hard. " Don't you ever compare us to that whore, " she hissed. She glanced down towards his groin and began stroking him again.

" Please don't, " he begged. He felt violated to have her near him and everytime he moved the pain from his wrist shot further up his arm. " I swear when this is over, I'm not going to have anything to do with you except have you charged. I will never be in love with you and I will never have sex with you of my own free will. What can you possibly get out of it? "

She leaned over to kiss him full on the mouth, and he felt like throwing up at the taste of her. He couldn't believed he'd ever kissed her of his free will. " You're baby, Daniel, " she whispered seductively, her hand going back to work on him. " I want your baby. "

Over the next five hours, she worked him hard, frustrated by his lack of response. She had read the report on him, devoured every word. She _knew_ on that hormone he could have gone half a dozen times by now.

Between the pain that was steadily working its way through his body – and negating much of the hormone's effects – and his depleted supplies which Janet had warned him about, Daniel was having difficulty performing. When he climaxed for the third time – in the same amount of time he knew he could have done six on Dorsal – he was on the brink of exhaustion, something that had never happened on Dorsal.

By now, the sun was beginning to come up and Sanchez knew people would be looking for them - the military police for her, the Stargate Command for him. She was frustrated by his refusal to co-operated by she was confident she had what she needed.

She gave him a parting kiss – he kept his jaw locked tight – before overpowering him with a chloroform-soaked rag. Like she was going to give him the opportunity to go after her.

Daniel came to about ten minutes later, with his wrists unfettered – at least she'd done _that_ for him. He knew the alternative was that someone from the Stargate Command would eventually track him down and find him naked and handcuffed to his bed. _Thankgod for small mercies_.

He sat up, and groaned from the pain. His body ached from the pain that had started out in his wrist, and he was exhausted. His body was covered in sweat and… a sticky substance. He cringed and felt shame rush over him.

What Sanchez had done to him was rape, and if he'd been a woman, he could have accepted that. But men weren't supposed to be raped, at least not by women. If you could get it up, how could it be rape?

He rushed to the bathroom to throw up. What he really wanted was a shower, but Janet would never forgive him for washing away perfectly good evidence.

_Janet_… of everyone he knew, Janet was the person he most trusted. Returning to his room, he reached for the phone and started dialling her number.

" Jan? " he said in a choked whisper when the Doctor answered the phone. " Can you come over please? I need you. "

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" Jesus Christ, Daniel, you look terrible, " Janet exclaimed when she saw her friend. He had sounded terrible over the phone, but he wouldn't say what happened. She had rushed right over, preparing for the worst. " What happened? "

Tearfully, he told her everything, right up to his phone call. As embarrassed as he was, he left nothing out.

She inspected his wrists. She could tell by the angle of his left hand that it was broken, and his skin was badly cut and bruised. " You really put up a fight, " she murmured, impressed. " Sam will be touched. "

Daniel looked at Janet, his face stricken. " You can't tell Sam, " he said. " Not yet. "

He was clearly agitated, and she couldn't blame him. " It's OK, Daniel, " she said. " We can give it some time. Have you had a shower yet? " It was a standard question ; she knew the answer, he still reeked of sex.

He shook his head miserably. " No. I knew you'd give me a lecture about evidence. "

" Yeah, that's me, a regular tyrant, " Janet quipped. " Let me take you to the base. "

" No! " he said vehemently. Samantha was at the base.

" It's the base or the hospital, Daniel, and we'll have less questions to answer at the base, " Janet pointed out. Daniel knew she had a point, so he agreed to let her take him.

She had to help him to the car, he was completely exhausted, he looked ready to pass out. And she could only imagine the pain he must be in over his wrist… not to mention the humiliation of what Sanchez had done to him. If he'd felt bad about not having control on Dorsal…

He let her do a thorough physical on him without saying a word, just staring blankly at some arbitrary spot on the wall. She did an X-ray on his wrist, and wasn't surprised that five hours of being restrained had done more damage then the break itself. " I can set it and it will heal OK, but I can't give you anything for the pain, " she said apologetically. " Part of what makes up the hormone stimulant is something similar to adrenaline – it was why you never felt tired even though you weren't getting any sleep – and I don't want to give you a painkillers, I'm concerned about the effect the combination will have on you. And I think the pain is keeping your urges at bay. "

" Pain is good, " Daniel grunted. It was hard to believe him when he was trembling from head to toe because of it.

She set his wrist, and sent him off to have a shower. Although it wasn't good as his own shower (he didn't think he'd feel safe in his apartment again) it felt good to have the feel of Sanchez off him. He wished he could wash away the icky feeling he felt inside as easily as he could wash away the crap on his skin.

He scrubbed his skin until it was almost as raw as the flesh around his wrists. When he came out wearing fresh BDUs, Janet looked at him in horror, then sympathy. It was a common response from rape victims, and she made the mistake of telling him so.

" Don't, " he said. " Don't… use that word. "

" Rape? What would you call it then? She restrained you and artificially stimulated you. If you were a woman, that would be textbook rape. "

" Well, I'm not a woman, so drop it, " Daniel retorted. He wouldn't meet her eyes and Janet decided it would be best for his already-battered ego to let it go – for the moment. Why did men have to be so stubborn about these things?

" I can't give you anything for the pain, but you should either fall asleep or pass out soon enough, " Janet commented wryly. " Do you want me to stay with you for a while? "

Daniel nodded. He wasn't in the mood to have her probing his thoughts, but to have someone who wouldn't judge him stay with him until he fell asleep.

He looked terrible, Janet saw, even after having a shower. He was exhausted and in a lot of pain. She stayed with him for half an hour, sometimes talking about menial things, sometimes listening to him talk, mostly just sitting with him until he drifted off. Weather he was asleep or passed out, she couldn't tell, but he was breathing fine and he had to be in a more comfortable place.

Mostly he had prattled on about Samantha. He was worried about her reaction, and nothing Janet could say would ease his anxiety. She figured the best thing for it was to talk to Samantha, no matter what he said about the matter. Technically, she was in violation of doctor-patient but she hoped Daniel wouldn't hold it against her.

Samantha was already awake – despite what she'd told Daniel, she didn't sleep as well as when he was with her – when Janet entered her curtained-off section of the infirmary. The infirmary had never been designed for private rooms, and Janet didn't think Samantha was well enough to stay in one of the dorms, so it had been a compromise of sorts.

" Jan, " she said when she saw her friend. " Why the long face? Is something wrong with me? "

Of course, she'd been a full if she'd thought she could just work it into the conversation. Samantha knew her far too well for that. " It's about Daniel, " she said, and since there was no help for it, she related everything Daniel had told her.

Samantha listened in horror and fury, horror that Daniel had been put through such an ordeal and fury at Sanchez – not to mention whoever had let her just walk out of confinement. " How is he? " she asked.

" Physically – his left wrist is broken, exacerbated by being restrained for so long, and he did hurt himself pretty badly struggling. He really put up a fight, in a perverse way you should be touched. The bone will take about six weeks to heal, he needed eighteen stitched for his wrists and that'll be a few weeks before they can come out. Two months and he should be fine. "

" And mentally? "

" Mentally… not so good. He feel guilty for what happened, he won't accept that it was rape. A part of him feels like he cheated on you, and you won't forgive him. "

" That's ridiculous! " Samantha said hotly, her fury mounting that, on top of his physical injuries, Sanchez would make him feel like that. " That woman is mental. She broke into his apartment, restrained him, pumped him full of that crap – how can he possibly thing he's to blame? He _knows_ I know what it was like, if anyone understands, it's me. "

" Not to mention she broke into _my_ labs to get it in the first place, " Janet added. There would be a lot of guilty faces over this. " I was hoping that would be your reaction. He really needs to hear it from you. He's sleeping now, but I know when he wakes up in an hour or two he'd be relieved to know you don't hold it against him. "

An hour and a half later when Daniel woke up, Janet brought Samantha into his dorm in a wheelchair. Samantha shouldn't really be out of bed, she was still in a great deal of pain, but she had been pretty insistent – as Janet had expected her to be. " Hey, " she said softly to Daniel, reaching out to stroke his hair.

He pulled away from her instinctively. He still felt deeply ashamed for what had happened. He looked up at Janet, and glared at her. " I told you not to tell her, " he said accusingly.

" I'll give you some time alone, " Janet suggested, trying not to take offence to Daniel's completely lack of gratitude. " And then we need to get you back into bed, " she said to Samantha, who, if left to her own devices, would be sure to push herself until she collapsed.

Janet shut the door behind her to give them some privacy, and Samantha turned to Daniel, her eyes boring lovingly into his. " Janet told me what happened, and I'm glad she did, if you honestly thought it was best to hide it from me, " she chided him. " Did you really think I wouldn't understand? I was there with you on Dorsal, Danny, I know what that crap was like. If you're not going to call it rape, then at least admit she forced you against you're will. You said no, didn't you? "

" Yes, " Daniel mumbled, knowing exactly where this was going.

" And from what Janet says, you put up quite a fight, " Samantha said, glancing at his heavily-bandaged wrists. " Eighteen stiches and a broken bone's worth. I'm kind of touched that you fought so hard, " she couldn't help but chuckling.

He tried to glare at her, but he couldn't direct any real menace towards her. " I didn't want to have sex with anyone but you, " he said, and he felt tears stinging his eyes.

Samantha reached out to stroke his hair gently and wiped away his tears. " I know that, " she said softly. " Why do you think I'm so touched by this? " she asked, gesturing to his bandaged wrists. " Even when you knew what was coming, you still put up a fight. Most men would have just laid back and enjoyed it. "

" I didn't enjoy it, " he sniffled.

" I know… and I love you for it. There's nothing to forgive, Daniel. I know it wasn't your fault. "

His tears began to flow in earnest now. He had been so worried Samantha wouldn't understand… when of course she would. She was the only other person who appreciated what those hormones did to you… and she loved him even more for the fact he'd tried to stop it… He flexed his right wrist painfully, and wondered if Janet could give him anything for the pain yet. " I love you, " he whispered.

" I love you too. " She ran her fingers intimately down his arm.

There was a silence for a minute before Samantha plunged into something that had been playing on her mind ever since Janet had told her about it. " If she becomes pregnant – " she started, although there wasn't much doubt in either of their minds that it was a matter of _when_, not _if_, given how potent the fertility drug was and how much of it she had take, " I want you to sue for custody. "

He looked at her in surprise. " You want my child with her… in your life? " he asked.

" I don't want your child growing up with that mental bitch for a mother, " Samantha corrected.

" And how would you feel… knowing what happened? " Daniel asked.

" You mean would I be an evil stepmother? " Samantha asked. Daniel looked sheepish ; that hadn't been exactly what he meant, but she was on the right track. Would she ever be able to look at the child and not be reminded of Daniel's night with Sanchez? " I could handle it, " she said confidently. She knew it wasn't in her to hold the sins of the mother against an innocent child. " I know how much you wanted our child and… I don't want anything that's yours to be influenced by someone like _her_. I think I'd be a very good stepmother, like Carol Brady. "

Daniel smirked through his pain. " You _hate_ Carol Brady, " he reminded her. She was always going on about how the woman was an embarrassment to feminism. And she had awful hair. But for his joking, he knew Samantha meant what she said. She wouldn't hold the child responsible for Sanchez's actions ; she would embrace it as if it were her own. " Thankyou, " he said gratefully.

" You're welcome, " she said, just in time for Janet to poke her head around the door. " Yeah, OK, " she grumbled. She would have liked to spend more time with Daniel but they were both tired. " You get some rest, " she directed him. " No arguing with what Janet says. "

" Thankyou, Sam, " Janet said, pleased to have an ally where Daniel was concerned. Their talk had gone well ; she could see her looked relieved, more relaxed, despite his obvious pain. " I'll be back in a minute, " she told Daniel, " after I put Sam back in bed. "

" I take it things went well? " Janet couldn't help asking once Daniel was out of earshot.

" Yeah… I don't think he blames himself, " Samantha said. Then she added, " if she's pregnant, I want him to sue for custody. "

" That sounds like a good idea, " Janet said. " It shouldn't be too hard, either, given her track record. Do you think you could handle that? "

What was it with people questioning her ability to treat Daniel's child like her own? " It's not like he cheated on me, Jan, " she snapped. " I'm not going to look at it and think of Daniel's infidelity everytime. I think it's important that it doesn't grow up with an influence like Sanchez. "

" That's very mature of you, " Janet commented approvingly. " But there's going to be a lot of people who won't understand that attitude, so you should brace yourself. "

Samantha shrugged. If there was one thing she had learnt over the last two months, it was that what other people said didn't matter – only the opinions of people who truly knew her and cared about her, like Daniel and Janet. " I know, " she admitted. " But I know Daniel, and I know myself. "

" Good for you, " Janet said, and she wondered why she had ever doubted Daniel and Samantha's ability to get together, and stay together.

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A month passed, and Daniel and Samantha were married in a civil, low-key ceremony on the base. There was no reception and no honeymoon, primarily because neither of them were yet fully recovered to consummate their marriage, something only a handful of people were aware of. But they had been dancing around the issue for so long and something always got in the way, so they decided to just go for it. Daniel in particular was becoming convinced that if they didn't do it now, they never would.

Daniel moved in Samantha's house, primarily because it was more convenient then having her move into his apartment, and secondly because after his nightmarish night with Sanchez, he would be happy if he never saw the place again. While they weren't yet sleeping together, they had a closeness and intimacy that many people envied.

Samantha had coaxed Daniel into therapy, where he had accepted what had happened with Sanchez wasn't his fault, and came to terms with being raped. He requested that that little bit of information be kept under lock and key, though – he didn't care what Samantha and Janet kept saying, people just didn't understand when a man was raped by a woman. Physiologically, many people deemed it impossible – he must be delusional, or have wanted it. But nonetheless, he moved on with his life, dealing with the traumas both he and Samantha had been through, and enjoying the first few days of married life.

And then the other shoe dropped.

To be fair, Daniel had been expecting it, ever since he'd been told Sanchez had been found, staying at a friend's place, two weeks after her night with Daniel. She'd taken basic precautions such as emptying her bank account and paying for everything in case so as not to leave a paper trail, but she hadn't made that much of an effort to remain undetected, knowing as she did the extent of the military's powers when it came to someone who knew the kind of State Secrets that she did. No, she hadn't been aiming to escape permanently. She had just been buying time until trying to force one of the horrible morning-after pills down her throat would be a lost cause.

Three days after their marriage, a military lawyer knocked on Daniel's office door. Daniel knew what it was about as soon as the man introduced himself – as Captain Sanchez's legal representation. " She has requested your presence, she believes she has something important to tell you, " the man said.

" I have a fair idea what it is, " Daniel said evenly. " Let me get my wife. "

" If you're referring to Major Carter, Captain Sanchez had expressly ordered that she not be present, " the lawyer said. He was surprised to hear that Doctor Jackson was married ; the way Captain Sanchez had spoken, he was single and just needed a little encouragement to the alter.

" She's my wife, whatever it is, I'm going to tell her, " Daniel pointed out, but the lawyer would have none of it. To be fair, he was only executing Sanchez's orders. It didn't really matter – he would tell Samantha everything anyway. " Lead the way, " he said to the lawyer.

Sanchez looked almost sane when he saw her, dressed in her airforce uniform and looking impeccable. But she still had that look in her eyes… " Daniel, " she cooed in that same voice she had used on him the night she had forced him to have sex with her. " So good to see you again. " She had the audacity to kiss him on the cheek. Daniel push her away violently. " That's no way to treat a lover, Daniel, " she drawled.

He glared at her. He had come to terms with what she had done to him, but he wasn't about to let her off the hook anytime soon – especially when she was so convinced there was something between them other then despise on his part. " You and I were never lovers, " he spat. " You raped me. "

She looked hurt. " That's not a very nice thing to say… to the mother of your child, " she protested.

" So now we get to the crux of it, " Daniel declared. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked stony. " What do you want? "

Might as well lay all her cards on the table. Daniel was being _very_ uncooperative about this whole thing. " I want you to marry me, give our child your name. "

He laughed at her. Of all the nerve! Was she _that_ delusional she seriously thought, after all that she done to him, he would marry her? _Apparently so_, he thought, looking into her eyes and realising she was quite serious. " No, " he said. " I wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot poll, let alone marry you. "

" You were going to marry that Carter whore when you knocked _her_ up, " she pointed out viciously. This wasn't exactly going to plan. When he'd gotten Samantha pregnant, he'd done the right thing, been all over her. Where was his honour now?

" I love Samantha, and the fact she was pregnant was incidental, " Daniel informed her icily. " And besides, even if I _did_ want to marry you – which I _don't_ – I can't. I'm already married. Samantha and I got married three days ago. " He held up his right hand – which was where his wedding ring was currently located on the fact his left hand was still bandaged up – and let her take in the wide gold band on his ring finger.

He took the tiniest amount of pleasure in the lost look in her eyes. She had played her hand and lost.

Then she slapped him hard across the face. " You bastard! " she hissed. " Cheating, rotten, no-good bastard! "

" Guess you don't want to marry me after all, " he goaded.

He glared at him hatefully for a few seconds, then the look in her eyes changed to that cold, crazy look that had thoroughly scared Daniel the night she had violated him. He wouldn't marry her, but she still had something major over him – his baby. Daniel was crazy about babies, the way he'd been all over Samantha was proof of that. When she got out, she'd exact her revenge on Carter for ruining her plans like this, but for the moment –

" I need you to get me out of here, " she declared. " I need you and that whore to give glowing victim-impact statements. How she provoked me, how you seduced me that night – I don't care what you say, but I want to get out of here. "

" I suggest if you want the slightest nit of sympathy from me, you restrain from calling my _wife_ a whore, " Daniel suggested. " And what the hell makes you think I would do anything for you, after what you did to us? "

Sanchez's eyes glittered dangerously. " Because I'm carrying your child, " she pointed out. " And everyone knows that men have no rights as far as a feutus is concerned. "

His blood ran cold when the true meaning of her words sank in. " You wouldn't dare, " he said. Not after the lengths she had gone to to get pregnant in the first place. Not after the tentative plans he and Samantha had made for the baby. She couldn't.

She smiled callously. It was good to finally put Daniel in his place. In time, once Carter was taken care of, she was sure she could make him see his place was with her and their child, but in the mean time – " I would, " she declared maliciously. " You get me out of here, Daniel, or I swear I'll have an abortion. "

Mwa-ha-ha, no final chapter until you guys start writing reviews! Yes, I know, I'm evil… 


	7. Chapter 7

Final chapter! And please, as much as I love feedback, so griping from the civil libertarians. This is a piece of fiction, and the bitch had it coming!   
Chapter Seven 

" Janet, as a Doctor, could you ethically perform an abortion on a woman you didn't think was sane? " Daniel asked.

Janet didn't fall for Daniel's hypothetical for a second. " You mean, Sanchez is threatened to have an abortion and you want to know what your rights are? "

Daniel nodded. " She fully expected that I was going to marry her – I told her I wouldn't touch her with a ten-foot poll, and I was married already. That _really_ pissed her off. Then she told me she wanted to get out, she wanted Sam and I to give glowing victim-impact statements, that Sam provoked her and I seduced her – all lies, " he added bitterly.

Janet was sympathetic ; she knew if Daniel and Samantha would say any such thing, it would be a lie. " It wouldn't do her any good, " Janet said. " I've spoken to Hammond, and he thinks Sanchez is far too unstable to ever be released, even into the population of a military prison. Most likely she'll spend the rest of her life in a padded cell. As for the other thing, I'll talk to her psychiatrist, see what can be done. " It wasn't right that, after all Sanchez had put them through, she could hold such a thing over them, but the crazy woman was right in the sense that Daniel had no say in it. He would most likely be awarded custody if he chose to sue, but until the baby was born he couldn't do much.

He smiled gratefully. " Thanks, " he said, and he went off to find his wife and tell her the bad news.

"… Are you _joking? _" Samantha asked incredulously when Daniel told her what had happened with Sanchez. Daniel wasn't the type to joke about such things, but it was more believable then it being true.

Daniel shook his head. " I wish I were, " he said painfully. After all that she had done to them, for her to pull a stunt like this now – Selena Sanchez was vicious as well as crazy. " Janet doesn't think it would work anyway, Hammond wants her in a padded cell, she's too dangerous to state security with what she knows. "

" So where does that leave us? " Samantha asked.

" I don't know. Janet's seeing what she can do. " He cupped Samantha's face in his hands and looked her in the eye. " I'm sorry, I wish there was something more I can do. " Like kidnap her, drag her back to his old apartment kicking and screaming, chain her to the bed she'd raped him in for next eight months and _force_ her to have this baby.

" It's not your fault, " she told him. She pressed herself against his chest, and he held her comfortingly in his arms. " I just wish she'd leave us alone. "

He kissed her head and held her close. " Me too, sweetheart. Me too. "

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When she had become a Doctor, Janet had taken an oath promising to preserve life, not destroy it. It was why such procedures as abortion and euthanasia were so controversial. But what Sanchez was doing affected her deeply then that. It wasn't just that she wanted to kill her unborn child, it was that she was so indifferent to it, using it as a pawn when Daniel and Samantha wanted it so much. After the hell she had put them through, the right thing to do was carry the child to term and let Daniel and Samantha be the parents they deserved to be – weather Sanchez liked it or not.

Unfortunately, civil liberties meant that they didn't always get what they deserved – that people did rotten things to other people and got away with it. She spoke to Sanchez's psychiatrist about it.

" She's completely sociopathic, " Dr. Armstrong admitted. " She's brilliant at deceiving people, that's why she got passed all the security clearances. If it wasn't for her infatuation with Doctor Jackson, we probably would never have picked it up. "

" That's the reason I've come to speak to you, " Janet admitted. " She's trying to blackmail Doctor Jackson – she wants him and Major Carter to testify in her favour at the hearing, or she'll abort their child. "

" I don't think that will work, even if Doctor Jackson agrees to it, " Doctor Armstrong admitted. " I don't think she's stable enough to be released, even into the general prison population. And with what she knows – she could wreak havoc if she talks to just one wrong person. My recommendation is that she spends the rest of her life in a padded cell. "

Janet nodded. " My question is, is there anything we can do to stop Sanchez from harming the baby? Argue that she's not stable enough to make that decision? "

" We could try, " Armstrong said. " Personally, I'm tempted to agree with you. The lack of remorse she's shown, the lengths she went to to get pregnant in the first place, only to turn around and threatened to have a termination – I don't think she's sane enough to make that decision for herself. She's in no physical danger from the pregnancy, so there's a decent change such an argument could work. Having said that… "

" Civil liberties, " Janet agreed. " But this is the United States Airforce, not some defamation case. From a personal perspective, I'm more inclined to think she should be forced to carry the child just because of the hell she put Sam and Daniel through. They want this child and she's using it as a pawn. "

Armstrong smiled. " I recommend you don't say that to the board, " he said, " or they'll be inclined to think you're acting out of personal interest and not the greater good. "

Janet knew Armstrong was telling the truth, but she argued, " It _is_ the greater good. She assaulted both Sam and Daniel, went to great lengths to get pregnant – now that she is, she may as well carrying the child to term so that _something_ good can come out of it. "

" I agree completely, Doctor Fraiser, but you're coming off a little too strongly. Try and be more impartial about it. "

A board was set up to hear the merits of the situation – Sanchez's right to have an abortion against Daniel and Samantha's wish to have the child. It wasn't like they had any rights, but they'd hired an excellent lawyer to try and convinced the board of three psychiatrists and two doctors otherwise.

It helped that Sanchez's lawyer clearly didn't believe in civil liberties when the person pleading for them was so clearly guilty, and had shown no remorse. Sanchez herself didn't look the least bit guilty, and when she was confront with the details on her assaults on Samantha and Daniel, she stared defiantly at Doctor Armstrong, who'd brought it up.

" The whore deserved it, " she declared of Samantha. " And he's lying… _he _seduced _me_, not the other way around. "

" So you're saying you _didn't _break out of your confinement, and you _didn't_ break into Doctor Fraiser's lab to steal hormone stimulants and a fertility drug, and you _didn't_ break into Doctor Jackson's apartment and you _didn't_ restrain him and hold him captive for six hours while you sexually assaulted him? " Armstrong asked.

" Well, no, not exactly, " Sanchez defended herself, not used to coming up against a man who was immune to her charms. Armstrong was a brilliant psychiatrist, and though she was the most brilliant he'd come across, he'd dealt with and beaten sociopaths before. " He _wanted _it! " she screamed, losing composure.

" No-one _wants_ to be raped, Captain Sanchez, " a female Doctor spoke out, admonishing the Captain. Sanchez cowered under her steely gaze. This was _not_ going according to plan. Daniel was supposed to bail her out, they were supposed to live happily ever after – she let out a strangled sob.

" We were supposed to be together, " she cried. " And then that bitch got involved and stole him! She deserved everything she got! "

Reluctantly, because they didn't really want to deprive Sanchez of her civil liberties, but she hadn't left them much choice, the board ruled four-one that, unless the pregnancy proved to be a threat to her physical health (her mental health, they agreed, was well and truly deteriorated) Captain Selena Sanchez, United States Airforce, would carry her child to term, whereupon custody would be granted to Doctor Jackson and Major Samantha Carter-Jackson.

Daniel was so relieved, he almost collapsed. The last month when they'd been preparing for this hearing had been incredibly stressful on him. Samantha brought him close against him, holding him tight while he trembled. He hadn't known what he would do if the board decided against them. Hell, Samantha hadn't know what she would do but she had done her best to be strong for Daniel.

And now it was all over, thankgod. The stresses of the last month had rendered the sex life still nonexistent, although they were both over their injuries. Well, that would change tonight.

With a cry of anguish, Sanchez was dragged back to her confinement. It was unfortunate that things had ended so badly for her but Hammond felt there was nothing else that could be done for her. She would be given all the psychiatric care money could buy, all the books and magazines she wanted, but she would never be given her freedom. And she would never be given another opportunity to exact her demented revenge on Samantha and Daniel.

Janet, who had been watching the hearing from the sidelines, came forward to congratulate Samantha and Daniel. It wasn't exactly a celebration, but it was worth something at least. " You guys wanna go out for pizza or something? " she offered her friendship although she had a feeling, no offence intended, that after the stresses of the last month, it wasn't wanted.

Daniel snaked an arm around Samantha in an intimate gesture. Janet had never seen two people with had the same loving intimacy as Daniel and Samantha had. She supposed that was because she had never seen two people go through what they had – as teammates, as friends and as lovers – and still be together. " No offence, but we want to be alone tonight, " he said, kissing Samantha on the side of her head.

" No offence taken, " Janet said. She hugged them both and said goodbye to them.

Back at their house, they spent an hour just cuddling on the couch, getting a grip on what had happened. " I can't believe it's almost over, " she mused. Sometimes she had scarcely believe barely four months had passed between her and Daniel being kidnapped by the Dorsa and now, so much had happened in between.

" We've still got seven months to go, " he reminded her.

" Ugh, don't remind me. Do you think there's anything else she'll do? " Samantha asked.

" I doubt it. Everyone's onto her now, there's no way she can get out of her confinement, or hurt herself, or us for that matter, " Daniel said. Doctor Armstrong wouldn't put it passed Sanchez to use anything she could get her hands on – bleach, a knife – to rob Daniel and Samantha of their hopes once more, so he was carefully vetting anything that went into her room. If she managed to pull anything of now, she was more brilliant then the military's top psychiatrists.

Samantha snuggled closer to Daniel and kissed him on the mouth. He kissed her back, and soon they were making out on the couch. " It's been so long… " she pointed out.

" I know, I'm sorry. I've been… distracted. "

She kissed him. " I know, " she said. " But it's all over now. We can get on we our lives. "

He started to explore her body with his hands, down her chest and her stomach, under her shirt to run his fingertips over her bare skin. She shuddered at his touch and pressed her body closer against him.

" Make love to me, " she whispered. " It's been a month and we haven't consummated our marriage. "

" Are you OK to? " he whispered back.

She grinned. " Fine. Are _you_? "

His left hand still felt weaker then it had, but he wasn't about to let that stop him. He scooped Samantha off the couch and carried her to their bedroom.

She knew instinctively, as she knew him, that he wanted to be dominant tonight. The few times they had made love since returning from Dorsal, he had wanted to be passive, let her be in control, because he'd been troubled by the way he'd behaved on Dorsal. Now the situation was reversed – being held captive by Sanchez and forced to have sex with her had shaken his security in his sexuality, although of course he wasn't about to admit that, he was too proud. But Samantha knew, and if it made him feel better she'd be whatever he wanted her to be for the moment.

She soon realised while she could let Daniel dominate her, she couldn't be passive in his arms. He knew her better then any man had known her, knew her body and her needs, and worked her up thoroughly. She had never felt so safe or so wanted – or so turned on. She let her mind drift into a pleasant, happy space where there was only her and Daniel, responding to his touch as he slowly undressed her…

A thought occurred to her. " Daniel, " she murmured huskily, groaning as he began kissing her breasts. She steeled herself. She had to get this out. " Daniel… I haven't taken anything since before we were on Dorsal. I'm not on any protection. "

He looked up, barely stopping what he was doing. " You're saying you want me to use a condom?" he asked. He hated them, absolutely hated them, he didn't care was _Cleo_ said, you could too feel them, but if that was his only option –

" I'm saying… I don't want you to use anything, " she blurted out.

Daniel stopped what he was doing and scooted up the bed so look her in the eye. Needless to say, in light of everything that had happened the past two months, it was a surprise request. " You wanna get pregnant? " he asked her. She nodded shyly. He raked his hand through his hair. This was quite a bombshell, although not an entirely unpleasant one. " Jesus, Sam, we haven't talked about this at all… " he started.

" What's to talk about? It feels right, " she said, and he knew she had a point. Their baby hadn't been planned or even wanted at first, but by the time Samantha had lost it, it had been very much wanted and it seemed natural to try again. " What about…?" he started uncertainly, not wanting to put a dampener on the situation by reminding her another woman was already pregnant with his child.

" About Sanchez? I've thought about it, and… I know I can accept both children as my own. "

She spoke these words with absolute sincerity, and Daniel knew she meant them with all her heart. His child with Sanchez would grow up accepting Samantha as its mother as much as any of their biological children together. Samantha Carter Jackson was one hell of a woman to face such a situation with such maturity and open-heartedness.

He kissed her tenderly, tears in his eyes. " I love you, " he whispered. " So much. "

They made love that night with a passion that exceeded anytime they'd been together before. Afterwards, they lay cuddled up together until the early hours of the morning, unwilling to sleep and leave the blissful consciousness of being together.

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The months passed, and Sanchez's pregnancy progressed well, mostly thanks to Armstrong's watchful eye. With every day that passed, she became more and more delusional, convinced that any minute now, Daniel was going to walk through the door of her padded cell and tell her everything had been sorted, he'd divorced that ugly whore to marry her and give their child his name…

Armstrong recommended against Daniel seeing her, and Daniel didn't need much convincing. In her delusional state, there was no telling how she might react to seeing him, and Daniel wasn't particularly enamoured with the idea of seeing _her_ anymore then he had to. Instead, Armstrong kept Daniel informed on her pregnancy, which was progressing as well as could be expected.

Finally, the day came that Samantha and Daniel got the call – Sanchez had gone into labour and had a Caesarean section. They would have been called earlier, but it had happened so quickly.

Armstrong related the details of the procedure. She had been taken into surgery screaming from the pain of labour and outrage. She couldn't believe Daniel wasn't there. He _had_ to be there, he loved her and they were meant to be together… that had been the general gist of her rantings. He left out some of the more offensive things she had said about Samantha.

Afterwards, she had been offered by the nurse to hold her baby girl, and she had spat in the infant's face. The nurse had been absolutely horrified ; Sanchez wasn't the first reluctant mother she'd met, but she was first to react so harshly against her own child. No wonder the board had ruled against the mental fitness.

Daniel and Samantha were told she was in post-operative care and that Armstrong didn't think she'd be posing a threat to anyone soon. It was as if the birth of her daughter, the daughter which had simply been a means to an end that she hadn't achieved, had driven home once and for all that Daniel wasn't coming back for her, that all her scheming and backstabbing had been for nought. The woman who had been taken to post-operative care had none of the malicious fire that had powered her previous schemes and cruelties ; Captain Samantha Sanchez, United States Airforce, was now just a broken, crazy woman doomed to spent the rest of her life in a padded cell where the only people who would ever think of her again – apart from the urban legends that would grow to portray her as The Most Evil Woman Who Had Ever Lived – were the couple for whom she had given their first child, in a mixture of gratitude and relief that it was all over.

Their daughter, which Samantha was quick to name Jolinar, was as healthy as could be, something that had secretly surprised Daniel. He'd secretly been half-convinced that spending the first nine months of your life in the woman of such a sick, poisonous woman had to affect you somehow… but no, she was perfectly healthy and ready to be taken home.

Daniel and Samantha watched their daughter in the converted nursery as they waited for all the required paperwork to be processed. " She's beautiful, " Daniel whispered.

Samantha stroked the tiny girl's tiny hands, letting the squealing baby grab onto her index finger. " Mommy, " she said adoringly to the tiny scrap of humanity. " I'm your mommy. " Instinctively her hand drifted towards her stomach, which was slightly swollen with her three-months-in pregnancy. She was convinced it was a boy, which she planned to name Martouf, no matter what Daniel had to say on the matter. ( "Why don't you just call them Romeo and Juliet while your at it?" had been his response, although Samantha secretly thought it was because he was still the teensiest bit jealous of her relationship with the dead Tok'ra.) " This is your big sister, " she said to her unborn child, without consciously realising she'd thought of them as siblings, not the half-siblings that they actually were. For as long as she lived, she would never think of them as half-siblings – she would never think of Jolinar as anything but her daughter.

She threaded her fingers through Daniel's and welcomed his return embrace. "C'mon," she said to her husband, never tearing her eyes away from their child. "Let's take our daughter home. "

_**THE END**_


End file.
